BitterSweet
by Neonette
Summary: She's mean. She's rude. She can't stand ObiWan and calls him by some warped form of his name. So why can't he leave her alone? ObiWan learns a grown up lesson about friendship and reliability in the world outside of the Jedi Order that hits close to home.
1. Chapter 1

Bittersweet

It was a cold and rainy Coruscant evening when Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi returned from their mission on Telar IV. It had been a frustrating peace negotiation where neither party seemed interested in anything but who would be granted custody of "The Sacred Statue", a boulder in the vague shape of their god. After ten years of partnership and friendship, Obi-wan and Qui-Gon had developed a strategy for such trivial causes of war: Obi-Wan would threaten to destroy the item of controversy and Qui-Gon would negotiate the importance of it with the two conflicting sides and lead them to a solution that they believed was their own. It worked every time, although some cases had nearly gotten Obi-Wan killed for heresy, for which Qui-Gon had deeply apologized.

But now the mission was over and they were back at the temple in the warm confines of their shared quarters. Qui-Gon performed his ritual of unpacking and preparing tea simultaneously as he always did when they returned from a mission. Obi-Wan, still being young at twenty-three, had no rituals to perform and simply collapsed in a chair by the window with a somewhat empty feeling. The rush of the mission was gone and so was his energy. To make matters worse, he had the guilty feeling of lonesomeness. He knew that was a stupid and selfish emotion considering that he was with his master nearly all the time, but he still missed his friends. He missed the comfort of their voices and playful natures. Like him though, they were all busy with their own masters and their own missions, it was even more selfish of Obi-Wan to expect them to make time for him just because he was lonely.

"Tea, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked, breaking Obi-Wan's train of thought.

"No thank you, master," the young man replied.

"It might lift your spirits," Qui-Gon insisted. Obi-Wan gave him a wary look.

"You're distressed, Obi-Wan. Perhaps a bit…lonely?"

Obi-Wan sighed and gave an unwilling nod to his master. His feelings were always so obvious; nothing escaped the broad sweeping senses of Qui-Gon Jinn.

"I know it's selfish of me to feel so, but...I do. How can I make this feeling go away, Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked imploringly.

"Go make some friends," Qui-Gon replied simply.

"I have friends, they're just busy, like us, and we're never at the temple at the same times."

"So make some friends in the city, citizens," Qui-Gon sipped his tea and popped a cracker in his moth.

Obi-Wan looked at him deadly. That was an easy thing for Qui-Gon to say; he seemed to make friends even when he didn't want to. It was a fluke that Obi-Wan had any friends here at the temple to begin with; he was not a social person. The idea of randomly making friends with city people seemed as impossible, to Obi-Wan, as forcing himself to sprout wings and fly away.

"Master…" Obi-Wan began hesitantly.

"Just go out and meet some people, you're bound to like somebody you meet," Qui-Gon told him.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously.

"Of course! It might do you well to have some friends in the city. You never know what resources you'll need in the future, and ordinary citizens are a great resource for any profession."

Obi-Wan thought about what his master was telling him. It was true that they had often asked Qui-Gon's city friends for information in regards to a broad spectrum of missions and they had all yielded a profit. The idea of making friends though still bothered him.

"But how…"Obi-Wan began.

"You'll know," Qui-Gon answered, before the young man could finish, "In fact, I think that tomorrow would be an excellent day to begin your search for new friends. The rain's supposed to let up and make way from some beautiful sunshine."

"Yes, master," Obi-Wan sighed and slumped further back in his chair.

'I've got a bad feeling about this,' he thought in the way back of his head as the reality of his situation sunk in.

The next morning Obi-Wan pulled on his civilian clothes and filled his pockets with credits and a comm-link.

'To call for help when I make friends with the wrong people,' he thought bitterly as he walked out into the hallway of the Jedi Temple. Younglings and older initiates were rushing to classes and playing amongst themselves as knights and masters made their ways to and from meetings and missions. Obi-Wan made his way to the main doors of the temple to embark on his own, less important mission.

The sun was bright, as Qui-Gon had predicted and the streets were busy. Not knowing where else to start, he stepped onto the walk way and picked a direction. The market place was several blocks away, but seemed the only reasonable destination to meet people at.

'What am I doing?' he thought to himself as he passed a diner full of transients, 'I can't make 'friends' with just anybody, that's crazy. Besides, even if I do meet some one I like, they won't necessarily like me. Who wants to be friends with a Jedi anyway? We're never around and we can't exactly do favors for people…can we? No matter, we're not around enough to have favors asked of us! Does Yoda have non-Jedi friends? I can't imagine that Master Yoda went wandering around Coruscant looking for random friends. This is insane, I can't believe I'm doing this, I should just go ho…'

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" a young human woman cried as she stumbled past Obi-Wan. Apparently he'd bumped into her. She was giving him a cold look as he half mumbled an apology.

'Great start, Obi-Wan. You'll be making friends any minute now,' he thought as he continued on his way. He briefly glanced back at the woman he'd bumped into and found her glancing back at him, but with a much softer look than she'd given him before. Obi-Wan had barely realized she was looking at him before she turned away and disappeared in the mass of city people.

'Perhaps, I've made an enemy now…'he continued as he turned a corner, 'I'm sure she's not happy about being run over by a clumsy, friendless, Jedi. You moron, Obi-Wan, you could have made friends with her! She was right there and looking at you! Right, Qui-Gon will be thrilled when I tell him I made friends with a random woman after I upset her. Women make friends easily, she's probably on her way to meet a flock them.'

Obi-Wan turned another corner and found a busy walkway lined with small shops and restaurants. He walked for another hour and half perusing the people he passed. They all looked the same to him, not benign or malevolent, just the same. He felt like giving up and resolving himself to being friendless and slightly lonesome for the rest of his life. Before he gave up though, Obi-Wan decided to grab some lunch. A few more blocks down, was a small restaurant that Qui-Gon had taken him to once when he was younger. He remembered they had delicious Corellian pastries.

'Perhaps someone will wish to join me at the restaurant for a brazben tart with cream sauce…probably not though,' he thought, as he saw the restaurant come into clearer view. Obi-Wan knew he was being hard on himself and creating negative energy. He didn't want new friends; he wanted to see his old friends. He wondered if Qui-Gon had always been good at making friends or if it was a skill he'd acquired through years of missions. He was now in front of the restaurant; it was lightly occupied.

'Brazben tart with cream sauce...'he thought dreamily as he walked in and sat at an empty table.

"What'll it be?" asked a skinny green Twilek, with his head-tails wrapped in a turban.

"Brazben tart with cream sauce," Obi-Wan replied promptly.

"Anything to drink?"

"Spyder Wine."

"We're out, but may I suggest Thorian Gribble Juice," the waiter offered cheerfully, "Its sweet and clean flavor makes an excellent match for the brazben."

"Sure," Obi-Wan replied quietly, a little off-put by the waiter's enthusiasm over a drink.

"Excellent! I'll be right back with your order!" the waiter said as he spun on his heel and left for the kitchen.

Obi-Wan glanced around the restaurant as he waited for his pastry. He saw families and couples enjoying various meals and drinks. An old Wookie was sitting alone in one corner of the restaurant, no doubt placed there out of the owner's fear for customer's safety. This Wookie looked to old to be looking for trouble though. Its head was drooped over a steaming mug with a small side plate of Corellian sweet greens that hadn't been touched. The Wookie's stature spoke that it had been there for a long time, and in some sort of disparity.

'He looks like he needs a friend,' Obi-Wan thought as he gazed at the Wookie, 'A Wookie would be a valuable resource to have as a Jedi. I'd have to learn Wookese though…so how would I tell him that I want to be friends? He may be old, but he could still rip my arms off if he got the wrong message from me…'

The restaurant buzzer sounded, declaring the entrance of another customer. Obi-Wan was too engrossed in his internal debate over befriending the Wookie to see the person sit at the table in front of his. The cheerful Twilek came back to take the new customer's order.

'Ugh…'Obi-Wan though, 'I hope he's calmed down since he took my order. Where is my order anyway? I thought he said he'd be right back?'

"I'll take a brazben tart with cream sauce and a glass of oral sap: bitter, not sweet, Jen," said the customer in front of Obi-Wan. It was a human woman with her back to him. She had long purplish-red hair and sounded distressed.

'Hey, we both like brazben tarts,' Obi-Wan thought, 'Maybe I can make friends with her…I sound like a youngling! This is insane! What am I doing? I'll just get my tart and go back to the temple and tell Qui-Gon I'm not lonely anymore!'

"Oh I'm sorry, sweet thing," the waiter, now named Jen, replied sadly, "I just sold the last one to the young man behind you!"

The woman turned around and looked at Obi-Wan, "Ugh!" she exclaimed, as she slumped in her seat, shooting Obi-Wan an incredulous look. Obi-Wan froze; it was the same woman he'd run into on the street that morning.

"I didn't think you were coming Andy! So I sold it! It was already an hour past your usual time!" the waiter babbled as the woman sighed and turned back around.

"That's ok, Jen, I'll just have hot tea then…" Andy replied quietly.

Obi-Wan was in a slight panic. The woman was obviously very upset for the second time today and both times had been his fault. He felt he had to do something for this woman; he couldn't just continue ruining her day…

"I'll share my tart with you!" he blurted out. He felt his face flush instantly.

'What have I done! Stupid!' he thought.

"Oh, how sweet, Andy! The young man's offered to share the last brazben tart with you!" Jen crooned.

"Forget it Jen!" Andy snapped, "I'll just go down to Dax's for a sandwich…I'm on a diet anyway."

With that Andy got up and left the restaurant without giving Obi-Wan so much as a second glance.

"But, uh, I…"was all he managed to spit out before she was out on the street

"Ugh," he groaned as another twilek brought him his tart. He looked at it sadly. He couldn't eat it now; not after all that the poor woman had been through today at his expense. Obi-Wan quickly threw all his credits on the table and dashed out the restaurant after the woman.

He used his quick reflexes to weave through he crowd without damaging the tart and to track the young woman.

"Wait!" he cried when he saw her long dark hair.

"Wait! Andy!"

The woman turned around with a wary look until she spotted Obi-Wan.

"Not you again," she said exasperatedly, "Look, I don't want…"

"Take it," Obi-Wan said abruptly, "Just take it. I want you to have it. I've already done too much to your day. Please."

Andy sighed heavily and turned away, burying her face in her hands, and began to walk.

"Andy…!" Obi-Wan called out.

She turned quickly and spat, "My name's not Andy! It's Andra! Now just go away! I don't care about the damn tart!" And with that she was gone, leaving Obi-Wan in a very bewildered state.

He looked down at the tart and sighed as he began to walk back to the temple. His outing was officially over, as was the mission to find new friends.

'It's hopeless,' he decided, 'I'm just not a sociable person. I can't even properly make right for what I've done wrong…even if it was an accident and just a bad coincidence. I'll simply have to rely on the networks of my colleagues…how pathetic: a Jedi who can't even make his own network of friends and allies to aid in the keeping of the Force. I can't even enjoy my brazben tart with cream sauce! What an unfortunate day…'


	2. Chapter 2

BitterSweet

Chapter 2

Obi-Wan walked into the quarters her shared with his master as a proverbial train wreck. The man looked as if he had just been mugged by death itself and barely got away…except for the Correllian brazben tart with cream sauce that was in his hand.

"Well?" Qui-Gon asked cheerfully as he sat down his data pad, "How did you do?"

Obi-Wan looked at him blankly and set the pastry down on the table before he walked to his bed room.

"I take it things didn't go very well, then," Qui–Gon said to the empty room. He got up to go talk to Obi-Wan about the day's disaster. He knew that it would be a difficult task for Obi-Wan, but it was very clear that something had gone especially awry; the brazben tart was proof of such.

Obi-Wan lay face down on his bed when Qui-Gon entered the room. He looked truly pitiful.

"So what happened with the brazben tart, young padawan?" he asked soothingly.

"I'm not meant to have a vast network of city connections, master," Obi-Wan replied, matter-of-factly.

"Did you at least make one friend?"

"Worse," Obi-Wan replied as he sat up, "I think I made an enemy."

Qui-Gon's gaze begged for details. Obi-Wan regretfully informed his master of the incident with the young woman, both on the street and in the restaurant. He emphasized how much he had tried to make up for her bad day, and befriend her, and how he really did think that they could have been friends.

"It's for the better though. I'm sure she doesn't need a Jedi for a friend anyway. Besides, I must not be a friendly person. I was certainly nice enough to her," Obi-Wan concluded.

"Perhaps she was just having a bad day to begin with and needed to be alone," Qui-Gon offered, "It could have had nothing to do with you. On another day she may have been delighted to share a brazben tart with you, although I have know idea what the two of you share that causes such a craving for it. How can you stand those things?"

Obi-Wan laughed lightly, "Brazben is a very secret and sophisticated taste for only those true of heart."

"Or low intellect," Qui-Gon joked, "My point is, don't give up because you had a bad day. Do you think that young woman is going to give up brazben tarts forever based on her experience today? Of course not; she's going to go on with life as usual and get one tomorrow morning. Which is exactly what you should do."

"Get another brazben tart?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No: another friend. I promise you, you will not regret this," Qui-Gon assured him.

"Very well, master. I shall continue this somewhat frivolous task…"

"It's not frivolous, Obi-Wan. This is important to your training, as well as your well being. A Jedi must be able to blend in all walks of society, and having friends or even acquaintances sharpens that skill. You must be able to create lasting relationships if you're going to be of aid to the Force," and with that, Qui-Gon let his apprentice be to think about what the lesson really was.

That night Obi-Wan dreamt about the girl from the restaurant. She hated him, and Obi-Wan couldn't just feel it, he could see it. Beams of hate radiated from her in a crimson red color. Her eyes were black and her face in a cold hard stare. She was also in danger. The ground beneath her had caught fire from her hate and was about to crumble and send her to her death. He called out and reached for her but she drew back with a fiery hiss. She wouldn't let him near her. She looked at him despairingly before she collapsed in a sobbing heap. She was afraid: of the fire and of him; she was trapped. The ground finally broke…

"No!" Obi-Wan cried as he flung himself toward her.

He landed in a sweaty pile of sheets and pajamas. He knew what the dream meant; it was his guilt and insecurities about failing the poor young woman.

'Andra…' he thought, sadly. He had to do something, or her image would keep haunting him, and a brazben tart was certainly not going to cut it.

'I have to find her,' he thought, 'She needs something…something to make her life easier. A friend maybe…ha ha ha, the Force works in mysterious ways, it appears. I resisted the idea so much that I pushed myself right back to it. Wait, she has friends…she must, a woman that beautif – WHAT! Where did that come from? How about this: if I ever see her again, I will insist on helping her in anyway that I can, including the presence of brazben tarts. There, that'll do.'

Somewhat satisfied with his reasoning, Obi-Wan collected his disheveled bedding and went back to sleep. He was never going to make friends with a grumpy sleep deprived attitude. The rest of the night, Andra's image left him to sleep peacefully.

The next morning, Obi-Wan dressed and prepared himself with ten times the vigor and exuberance of the day before. He was excited about the prospect of a second chance. His resolve of the dream and Qui-Gon's pep-talk had renewed his faith in his chances of finding a friend. Perhaps today would be the lucky day.

"Good morning Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said cheerfully as he entered their quarters with several data pads.

"Good morning master," he replied with equal cheerfulness, "That's quite a load you have there."

"Yes, it looks as if we may be presiding over a local civil trial to do with the temple's sewage system," Qui-Gon replied.

"The sewage system? What could possible be wrong with it master?"

"Apparently, a small real estate business is insisting that our sewage is draining into to one of their neighborhoods as the result of our plumbing expansion last year," he replied as he looked over a blinking data pad.

"Are you going out again, Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, master."

Qui-Gon tossed his apprentice some credits, "Would you pick up guirri fruits on your way home? Master Gallia sent our entire stock to the orphanage last night."

"Yes, master," Obi-Wan replied as he headed out the door.

Obi-Wan smiled at the thought of guirri fruit. It had been ages since he'd gotten one from the temple's indoor orchard. The smell of its deep green skin, and the taste of the soft, fleshy inside; the mere thought made his mouth water. Once again, Obi-Wan started out toward the market place. The day was sunny and the street was busy…actually, it was very similar to the day before. Obi-Wan walked happily along, smiling at people as they passed by and greeting them with cheerful helloes.

The several hours passed and Obi-Wan filled them by conversing with various shop keepers about their shops and the city. He met a rodian named Clark who ran a shop of pottery. "Authentically re-created to look like original artifacts of many ancient worlds," he'd said proudly. Another interesting character was an old peddler woman peddling cheap jewelry. She was slightly demented as she still thought she was trapped in the far corner of a transport vessel rather than the far corner of the market place. Races and species of all sorts bustled about and Obi-Wan introduced himself to many.

'I'll have to come back soon to visit these people,' he thought, 'They are far friendlier than I thought they would be…or maybe I'm being friendlier. At any rate, today's mission has been a success. I wonder what time it is…I should probably start heading back to the temple to help Qui-Gon with that civil case.'

With his mind made up, Obi-Wan went in search of a fruit stand to purchase the guirri fruit Qui-Gon had requested. Fresh fruit was always hard to find on Coruscant, as it all had to be shipped in from other planets. The only fruit grown on Coruscant was in the Jedi Temple and the private gardens of wealthy politicians; the fruit of which was never put of for sale. An indoor market advertised the largest selection of fresh (or quasi-fresh) fruit in all of Coruscant. Obi-Wan looked the building over: it appeared clean and well kept. This was probably a reliable source of guirri fruit; so he went in. Fruit stands lined all walls of the building with another ring of them in the center. Finding the guirri fruit was going to be more difficult than he'd expected. Obi-Wan casually perused all the stands as he made a round of the building. Fruits from all over the galaxy were displayed and at prices that reflected their distance from the bright and busy center of it.

Eventually Obi-Wan came across a stand with guirri fruit. It was a popular stand, Obi-Wan determined. Most of the products were gone except for one bag of guirri fruit and a few crates of pala nuts. He moved closer to the stand through the crowd, anxious the retrieve the only remaining bag of guirri. Obi-Wan reached out and grabbed the bag…but then the bag grabbed back. Obi-Wan felt a jolt as he tried to take the bag and looked over the people obscuring his view of the energy source. He expected to find the bag caught on a nail or careless mother's stroller, but instead he saw Andra.


	3. Chapter 3

BitterSweet

Chapter 3

"Andra," Obi-Wan said in astonishment. Of all the people he'd expected to encounter on his trip to the market place, Andra was the last on his list. She didn't respond but stared and him in sheer shock before dropping her end of the bag and walking away with her head shaking.

"Oh no; not again," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath as he paid the vendor and pushed his way through the crowd to follow her once again.

"Andra, wait, please," he begged when he caught up to her, "I'm so sorry, please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to do anything…I mean this is just all just an accident. Please, take the fruit. I feel awful about yesterday and now this…"

Andra stopped abruptly and faced him, fuming.

"Why are you everywhere that I am?" she demanded bitterly, "Are you stalking me? Is this some kind of sick joke? Do you want money or just a good laugh at my expense?"

"No," Obi-Wan breathed in shock. He was actually almost hurt by the tone of contempt in her voice, and her eyes…they were nearly black with anger.

"No," he repeated, "This is all just an unfortunate coincidence. The last thing I would ever want to do is make your life more difficult…or anyone else's. My name's Obi-Wan, and I'm a Jedi…"

Andra rolled her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Please, let me walk you home and help you put away this fruit," he finished.

"Will you leave me alone if I say yes?" she replied curtly.

"Whatever you wish," Obi-Wan replied with a smile.

'I wish you'd go away,' she thought strongly. Obi-Wan could feel her negative thoughts, but shrugged them off as her gut reaction to the incident.

"You know, Andra, now that we've put the past behind us, perhaps we could be friends," Obi-Wan said hopefully.

Andra looked at him sideways, "I don't think so," she said quickly.

"Why not? We obviously like the same foods, markets and restaurants," he insisted.

"I've got enough friends, I don't need anymore," she replied simply.

"But…"

"Shut up. I said no," Andra snapped. Obi-Wan kept quiet for the remainder of the walk.

Obi-Wan followed Andra through the busy Coruscant streets to a small neighborhood that was completely overshadowed by the nearby buildings and businesses. Obi-Wan felt sorry that she had to live in such a dank and dreary dwelling. The afternoon sunshine was completely blocked in all corners of the tiny ally. There were no garages or speeders, only a narrow walkway with a few apartment buildings. Obi-Wan knew that this was a public transit community of very low income citizens. Andra didn't look as if she belonged there though. She wasn't dirty or unkempt. Actually, she was clean, not like the other lower class city people he'd encountered looked like.

'Why does she live here?' Obi-Wan thought as they entered a gray building.

Andra took him down an adequately lit hallway to a door numbered 16 and moved to unlock it.

"Damn," she said through gritted teeth as she stared at her door. Obi-Wan turned to see what had upset her. There were two pieces of paper attached to her door: one was a notice of her unreceived rent and the other informed her of 'a temporary loss of plumbing till morning'.

"What's the matter?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The plumbing's out again. Some building a few blocks over remodeled or something and screwed up the whole neighborhood water line. Bastards think they drain their sewage wherever they want…"she grumbled angrily.

Obi-Wan paused for a moment, "This must be the neighborhood the temple is in a suit with," he said vacantly.

"What?" Andra said coldly.

"My master and I are working on a court case against a real estate company that says the sewage from the temple's new wing is draining into one of their properties," he replied nonchalantly, "This must be the neighborhood."

Andra glared at him, seething, blood boiling, breath heavy.

"You know what – Ben, was it?" she started angrily.

"Actually, it's…"

"I don't care," she snapped, "This has been a really great day," she unlocked her apartment door and opened it, "Thank you for you thoughtfulness and consideration for my condition. But now it's over and I want you to go. Thank you again and I hope I never see your face again. Bye!"

!SLAM!

It took a minute before Obi-Wan realized what had just happened. Apparently telling Andra that he was part of the reason why her plumbing was out had upset her. Obi-Wan looked at the number on the door: sixteen. Unintentionally, he had disturbed Andra a great deal. But then, he had done an awful lot to the poor woman…and she already had undesirable accommodations and a very bitter outlook on life.

'There has to be something I can do for Andra without making things worse,' he thought as he walked outside the building. The neighborhood was only a few blocks from the temple; she was definitely being affected by the temple's expansion (if that really was the cause of the neighborhood's plumbing woes). He walked solemnly back to his sparkling palace of a home in the center of the galaxy's greatest city.

When he walked into their quarters, Qui-Gon could feel the guilt emanating from Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon studied his pupil's movements and attitude as the young man placed the bag of guirri in their small refresher. Things has not gone well today either.

"More enemies?" he asked.

Obi-Wan sat down in his usual chair by the window.

"No," he replied tiredly, "Just the same one."

"Now you have me interested," Qui-Gon said with a small smirk, "What happened?"

"We grabbed the same bag of guirri and she accused be of stalking her," Obi-Wan replied sadly.

"Ha!" Qui-Gon laughed, "No kidding?"

"This isn't funny, Master," Obi-Wan replied indignantly, "She was very upset. I had to beg her to let me help her home and give her half the bag of fruit."

"Oh, see. She let you walk her home…but you still brought back a whole bag. What else happened?"

"She lives in the neighborhood that claims to be affected by the temple's expansion and…" but Obi-Wan was cut off.

"Really?" Qui-Gon said with much interest, "Then she could help us in our defense that the temple's sewage is not affecting where she resides."

"She slammed the door in my face and wished to never see me again!" Obi-Wan replied incredulously.

"So?" replied Qui-Gon simply, "You'll just have to win her over with your Jedi charm."

'What Jedi charm…'Obi-Wan thought bitterly.

"Continue trying to make up for all these unfortunate happenings," Qui-Gon insisted, "You'll get through to her and then you two will bond and laugh about it. That's how friendships and alliances are formed. Besides, you do owe her an awful lot. Stalking for goodness' sake."

Obi-Wan took his master's words to heart and breathed a deep internal sigh. He would continue to make things up to Andra and he would form a bond with her…if she didn't kill him first.

For the third morning in a row, Obi-Wan woke up early and prepared his civilian clothes for another day in the city. He checked his appearance several times to make sure he didn't look like the stalking type and dug up what few remaining credits he had. Qui-Gon was also up early. He was still poring over the court papers and building plans of the temple's expansion. Obi-Wan desperately hoped that it wasn't the temple's fault that Andra went without plumbing the night before.

Again the sun shone without a care in the world and gave all the signs of a beautiful day. Obi-Wan walked quickly to the Correllian bakery; he had a master plan. The restaurant was emptier than when he'd been there last. Jen was gossiping with the cook while drinking out of a bottle of Spyder wine.

'No wonder they were out the other day,' Obi-Wan thought as he walked to the counter.

"Excuse me," he said, catching Jen's attention.

"What can I do for you?" he replied cheerfully.

Obi-Wan emptied his pockets of credits.

"I want as many brazben tarts and cream sauce as this will buy me," he said firmly.

"Going after Andy again?" Jen smirked.

"That's the one I was telling you about!" he whispered to the cook, "Well, you are in luck today because we are having an excellent sale!"

Jen gestured to a large sign that indicated a three for one deal on brazben tarts.

"I'll be right back with your order. I'll assume this is to go?" Jen said with a wink as he scooped up the money and shuffled off.

Obi-Wan suddenly felt very uncomfortable and took a seat at the counter.

"Don't pay Jen any attention," the cook laughed, "He thinks every minor mishap between a man and a woman – or a grub and a woonak – is the world's next great love story. Although, that was really sweet of you to offer to share your tart with Andra."

Obi-Wan nodded to acknowledge the cook's comment, still uncomfortable that the other day's conversation was being gossiped about and, from what he could tell, being blown way out of proportion.

"Here you go," Jen said as he placed a large bag of tarts and a giant bucket of cream sauce in front of Obi-Wan, "Hope you and Andy enjoy!"

"Thank you," Obi-Wan replied as he picked up the food and left. Obi-Wan then decided that it was probably best if he didn't patronize that restaurant again until after Jen had been fired. He looked at the massive amount of food he had just purchased. It was definitely the largest concentration of brazben tarts and cream sauce that he had ever been in the presence of. He hoped that Andra wouldn't be over whelmed when he showed up at her apartment.

Obi-Wan shifted his parcels as he opened the door to Andra's apartment and prepared himself as he walked down to number sixteen. He was excited, and slightly nervous, to see the look on Andra's face when she answered the door. She was either going to be very happy, or very not happy. Obi-Wan silently prayed for the former as he knocked on the gray door.

As he waited for her reply he could hear faint sounds of clatter and he grew slightly concerned. Was she alright? The atmosphere didn't carry the feeling of a struggle, but it was negative. He knocked again. More clatter, and this time a crash.

"Andra?" he called, this time knocking even harder.

Another crash, stomping, and…was that splashing Obi-Wan could hear?

Suddenly the door flew open.

"What?" Andra snapped. She was soaked from the knees down, her hair knotted up in a rodent's nest of a bun, with smears of sludge on her face. Behind her, Obi-Wan could see greenish water dripping from her ceiling and a small lake in a similar color protruding from an inner hallway.

Obi-Wan timidly held up the tarts and cream sauce.

"Surprise…?" he squeaked out.

Andra, as usual, stared at him incredulously.

"I don't have time for this," and she attempted to close the door on Obi-Wan.

"Here, let me help you," Obi-Wan said as he pushed his way in. The apartment was in utter chaos. The furniture had all been shoved to the side that was still dry and immovable pieces were covered with blankets and buckets. Andra was trudging toward the lake and Obi-Wan quickly sat down the food and followed her in.

"What happened?" he asked when he got into the hall.

"The pipes in my bathroom broke this morning and flooded. Then the pipes that run through the ceiling had some malfunction and turned the living room into my own private rainforest. Look, if you really want to help, find a way to get this water out of here. I can deal with the pipes and the ceiling," Andra said as she dove into a closet and emerged with a roll of ultra-tape.

Obi-Wan nodded and looked for a large bucket to bail the water with. Andra climbed under her sink, soaking herself even more, and began wrapping the pipes with the ultra-tape as fast as she could.

"That won't hold…"Obi-Wan said when he saw what her master plan was.

"I know," she grunted, "But it'll do until I get home from work today and can get my plumber friend to fix it right."

Obi-Wan placed his new found bucket at the dry end of the hall way. Concentrating hard, he used the force to move as much water as he could into the bucket. He succeeded in filling the bucket halfway and getting a quarter of the hall's water out. He continued this process until nearly all the water was gone, emptying it all into the kitchen drain. As he was drying the hall, Andra dashed out of the bathroom and into another room from whence she quickly emerged dry and changed. She pushed past Obi-Wan and got to work sealing off the ceiling with a catch and drip mechanism, another make-shift temporary solution. When she was done with that, she dashed back into the bathroom and finished her appearance before hurriedly grabbing a bag and Obi-Wan's arm.

"Ok, out now. Time to go," she said quickly as she dragged him to the door, "Thank you for helping, but now I'm extremely late and may lose my job if I don't get there I less than a second."

Andra shut the door behind them and took off running. Still in a bit of a daze, Obi-Wan followed her. She was very agile as she sped through the morning streets. She ran at full speed for the transit station and Obi-Wan echoed her every move. They barely made it to the transit before the shuttle left, and Obi-Wan sat right down beside Andra.

"Don't you have anything better to do? Shouldn't you be off saving another planet, or whatever it is that Jedi do?" Andra said when she realized who had followed her.

"No," he replied, semi-breathlessly, "but I do need to help you."

"No," she insisted, "You really don't. I can take care of myself."

"Your boss will be upset that you're late, and I might be able to change his mind about his late policy."

"You can't. I work for the senate, Jedi are forbidden to perform any kind of mind tricks or illusions, in the presence of politicians."

Obi-Wan looked at her intently, "You look very young to be working in the senate."

"I'm the Secretary General for the Elrood Sector," she explained reluctantly, "It's not exactly a high profile position. I take messages, file data, and run errands all day for a lot of pompous old wind bags and one perverted prince. It's just a job and my supervisor, the Consort General, will have it if I can't sneak by him on my way into the building."

The transit stopped and Andra got up quickly. Now Obi-Wan felt more than ever that he had to help her. She already lived in a desolate neighborhood; to lose her job would be devastating. Obi-Wan caught up to her and walked beside her. She tried to ignore him as she swiped her security card and entered the building with a crowd of people.

"You're making a mistake," she whispered as they took a lift up to the sixth floor.

"It would be mistake for me to not take responsibility for your tardiness," he whispered back.

They exited the lift and walked through a lavender archway to a large empty desk. Andra had barely put a toe through the archway when…

"Landrick!" a deep voice barked. An immensely overweight calmarian was heading straight for them.

"Landrick!" he barked again, "Where have you been? The senate doesn't stop for one measly girl who can't get her act together and get to work on time! There are deadlines and papers and appointments! Not to mention our lunches! You're useless coming in at this hour! I should have known better than to let you fill Alder's position! Landrick, you're…"

"Wait," Obi-Wan calmly interjected.

"Huh?" the calmarian said as he noticed Obi-Wan for the first time and gave him a scrutinizing eye, "Who are you?"

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Jedi temple. Andra is aiding my master and me in a city issue and it is our fault that she's been detained from her duties here at the senate. Myself and the council deeply apologize for any inconvenience this has caused," Obi-Wan explained in a very official voice.

Andra gawked at him; she was sure her supervisor would throw him out the window as one of her lame friends.

"Andra," he said in an entirely different tone, "you're aiding the Jedi? Fine work young lady! Fulfilling your civic duty as a Coruscant dweller and senate official. Well done! You'll replace me someday! Carry on and get to work!"

Andra's supervisor walked away, disappearing a large and ornate door. Andra continued to gawk at Obi-Wan, who was now smiling smugly at her.

"I think you may be receiving a promotion soon," he said to her as they walked to the large desk in the middle of the lobby.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

"You'd be surprised how the acquaintance of a Jedi changes the way people are viewed. Sometimes it's better, and occasionally it's worse. But I knew that it would help you because the Elrood Sector is heavily dependant on Jedi presence to protect the trade routes from space pirates," he explained.

Andra nodded, the incident trickling back into her memory.

"Thank you," she said, looking Obi-Wan square in the eyes, "Thank you very much…and I really do mean it this time. I owe you."

Obi-Wan laughed lightly, "Meet me for lunch and we'll call it even."

Andra looked at him warily again.

"Ok," she said quietly, "I'm off for lunch in five hours.'

"I'll see you then," Obi-Wan replied with a large grin.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time! I've been so bogged down with finals and Christmas shopping that I just haven't had time to get typing. The good news is that I have the rough drafts for the next few chapters and should be updating more regularly for the next few weeks. I will not be updating during the week of Christmas and New Year's. I will also be out of town for two weeks in January where I may or may not have internet access. Just a few heads ups so you don't think I'm just flaking off. Thank you all so much for your comments and support, they really mean a lot to me!

BitterSweet

Chapter four

Obi-Wan stepped back into the lift, satisfied with the progress he had made that morning. It seemed that he and Andra would have a friendship after all. True they had a very rocky start and Obi-Wan was only slightly sure that she was warming up to him, but he had a feeling that they were going to become very close. He had it set in his mind that he would research every facet of Andra's sewage issue to prove that something else was responsible for flooding her apartment. This would also solve the Temple's problem and hopefully give Qui-Gon the much needed hint that he was ready for the trials.

He strode into the temple with a proud smile on his face and didn't bother to try and conceal it. It was true that pride was not a much coveted quality in Jedi, but his pride was from doing good in the community. He was helping his fellow Jedi, and a neighboring community, as well as reaching out to befriend a particular individual who seemed in need of helps. If a Jedi was to be proud of anything, these were certainly things to be proud of. The Temple was teeming as usual and Qui-Gon was already hard at work when Obi-Wan reached their quarters.

"Ah, good morning, Obi-Wan," he greeted when the young man came through the door, "And how did this morning's venture turn out for you?"

"Very well," Obi-Wan replied cheerfully.

"Oh ho! Really? Tell me about it, then."

Obi-Wan shared the morning's incident with his master, grinning all the while.

"Goodness, this pipe incident really is damaging," Qui-Gon remarked, "You said there was access to the pipes through Andra's apartment?"

"Yes, they're practically breaking through the walls," Obi-Wan explained, "Why?"

"Well, apparently the pipes of another building also run through Andra's neighborhood and intersect with the Temple's new pipes. Theoretically, the breaks cold be in either set of pipes but we don't know who exactly owns the other set. If worse comes to worse, we may need to get a look at what pipes are flooding Andra's apartment…which may irreparably damage it in the process," Qui-Gon shared. The pair determined that they would exhaust all other possible resources before attempting to destroy the only affordable housing Andra could find. With nothing more to be said, Qui-Gon sent Obi-Wan to the library to find city documentation on the older set of pipes.

"Oh, and I'm having lunch with Andra this afternoon," Obi-Wan said on his way out the door.

"Wha--?" Qui-Gon blurted as the door shut.

The library was one of Obi-Wan's favorite places in the Temple. It was quiet and provided everything anyone would ever need to do anything. That was part of the reason the library was restricted to Jedi and other classified personnel. The information stored in the Jedi Temple's Library could devastate every politician and business in the galaxy. It took him three hours, but he finally found the pipe routes for Andra's neighborhood. To be thorough, he pulled the plans from as far back as the library had recorded. Consequently , he ended up carrying several data pads back to his quarters.

"Good afternoon," Mace Windu greeted as he saw Obi-Wan walking through the hall with an armful of data pads.

"Good afternoon Master Windu," Obi-Wan replied with a head nod.

"You have quite a load there, young padawan," Mace remarked, eyeing Obi-Wan's large load.

"It's for the suite about the potential damage being caused by the temples new plumbing," Obi-Wan explained, repressing the resentment he felt at being called "young".

"Ah, yes. How are you and your Master coming along with that? It's causing quite a bit of trouble for those of dealing with the neighborhood council."

"I can imagine," Obi-Wan replied eagerly, "I recently met a woman who lives in that particular neighborhood and is experiencing a great discomfort in her home. Luckily though, Qui-Gon and I have found that there is a second set of pipes running parallel to the Temple's which may be causing the neighborhood's plight."

"Very interesting," Mace replied, soaking in all that was and was not being said by the young Jedi, "Keep up the good work, Obi-Wan."

"Thank you Master," Obi-Wan replied as the two departed from each other. He hurried back to his quarters, aware that his lunch date was only a little more than an hour away. He arrived back and quickly dumped the data pads on his and Qui-Gon's work space (formerly their dining table).

"You went all out with your research, didn't you?" Qui-Gon laughed.

"Yes, I wanted to leave no stone unturned," Obi-Wan replied quickly.

"You sound like you're in a hurry, padawan," Qui-Gon remarked.

"I'm meeting Andra for lunch in an hour," Obi-Wan replied boldly.

"Oh, yes. That's right, you did tell me." All the humor had gone from Qui-Gon's tone and Obi-Wan sensed that his Master was not happy with something.

"You asked her to lunch?" Qui-Gon asked sternly.

"Yes," Obi-wan replied, more confused than before, "It felt like the right thing to do. She's had such a bad morning…and I can find out more about the pipe issue in her building."

"You do have other responsibilities Obi-Wan, and while you may rationalize that lunch with Miss Andra is productive; it is not."

"Yes Master. Of course," Obi-Wan replied quietly. He was so confused by his Master's change of heart. Wasn't it he who had encouraged Obi-Wan to go out and make friends in the city? Hadn't Qui-Gon encouraged him to make things right with Andra when the idea seemed hopeless? Obi-Wan pondered such things as he sorted the data pads by date and relevance, to later be used in his own research. There was little time left for his lunch with Andra. He hated to let her down. The poor woman had been through so much in such a short time…

"You'll be late if you don't leave soon," Qui-Gon said without looking up from his work.

"Thank you Master," Obi-Wan said as he jumped up from his seat and dashed from the room.

Qui-Gon looked up in time to see the door shut behind Obi-Wan's racing image. He held a concern for where Obi-Wan's excitement for his new friendship would lead him.

Obi-Wan raced through the Coruscant streets to the Senate building, hoping that he would not miss Andra. He entered the Senate building and awaited the lift. He straightened his hair and robes and prepared to jump into the lift as soon as the doors opened. When the doors did open, Obi-Wan nearly jumped into Andra herself.

"Oh!" Andra shouted.

"Hey watch it!" a nearby man grunted, giving Obi-Wan a stern stare.

"Andra," Obi-Wan beamed, "You weren't going to wait for me?"

Andra blushed as she and Obi-Wan moved away from the lift.

"I didn't really think you would come. I figured you only showed up when it was at my inconvenience," she explained.

"Well I am here, and I am taking you to lunch," Obi-Wan said with a smile. Andra smiled and walked with him out of the Senate building.

Obi-Wan took Andra to a small restaurant called Dax's Diner. Neither of them had been before, so it seemed a good place to begin a good friendship. Well, that's what Obi-Wan though when he selected the place.

The diner was small and quaint with a view of the city and the sky. It was a cozy environment and that was that.

"What can I get you?" a shiny droid waitress asked them.

"Coffee and a sandwich," Andra said quickly.

Obi-Wan looked at her questioningly.

"It's kind of my daily ritual," she replied.

"I'll have the same," Obi-Wan said to the droid.

"Thank you," Andra said pleasantly, "There aren't many decent people in the city, if you haven't already found that out."

"As a Jedi, it's my duty to make things better," Obi-Wan smiled.

"I'm sorry if I haven't been pleasant myself," Andra said as she looked away, "I have to confess: I don't like the Jedi. It's just something I've grown up with; a belief my parents taught me. I've lived in the city my whole life. My parents work for the Senate. Well, up until last year: they retired. I feel lucky I can say that. Most of my friends' parents are dead."

Obi-Wan looked at her intently. Suddenly Andra became more human to him than ever. She was a true city dweller, and she understood the dangers that came with that distinction.

"Anyway, my father was a lawyer and my mother was a consort general. We saw a lot of injustice in the city, a lot of it very close to us. The Jedi were always somewhere else and we'd read in the news how other worlds were in peace and better because of the Jedi. But when the city needed the Jedi, we were always sort of…forgotten."

Obi-Wan felt pain for her. To a certain degree, he agreed. There were never as many assignments in the city, the Temple's home, as there were in the rest of the galaxy. Now he could see what kind of effect that neglect was taking.

"I agree with you," he blurted without thinking.

"You do?" Andra asked in surprise.

"Yes. Well, there are other Jedi who also feel the same. That we don't serve, what is essentially our home as much as we should. I'm not someone you should dislike," Obi-Wan argued, nearly blindly.

"I think I've already figured that much out," Andra smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

BitterSweet

Chapter 5

Dexter's Diner played host to Obi-Wan and Andra's intricate discussion for over an hour. Obi-Wan learned how Andra was hoping for her boss to retire so she could be promoted. Andra learned about Obi-Wan's frustrations with Qui-Gon about taking the trials. Obi-Wan told her about how he and Qui-Gon had met, and how he almost hadn't become a Jedi.

"Maybe that's why I like you better than all the rest!" Andra laughed, "You're the Jedi Rebel!"

Obi-Wan laughed heartily with her over that comment. Ordinarily, he would have been embarrassed by that title, but coming from Andra made it seem like a badge of honor. Obi-Wan did have to admit to himself that much of his rebelliousness either came from Qui-Gon or was inspired by him. It briefly occurred to Obi-Wan that he wanted Andra to meet Qui-Gon, but he was quickly distracted y Andra's story of her own family. She laughed about how business-like her parents had been in the city, but since they moved they had been nothing but fun and relaxation.

"It's funny how a life of order can lead you to an end of chaos," Obi-Wan commented.

"So true," Andra replied as she sipped a cup of tea, "So do you know anything about your real family?"

Obi-Wan was taken aback by the question. He'd been asked it before, a hundred times, but it suddenly became a difficult question to answer.

'The Jedi are my real family,' was his standard answer. The more precise answer was awkward and cold, but he didn't want to be dishonest with Andra in the least bit.

"No," he finally answered.

"Not even their names?" Andra pried gently. She had a very innocent curiosity and kindness in her voice that made Obi-Wan nervous. He was nervous that he would say something without thinking; Qui-Gon had pointed out to him several times that thinking before doing was not his strong point.

"No," he replied and then thought hard about his next statement, "But I'm sure that they would be happy with the family that the Jedi have become for me."

Andra gave him a soft smile, "I'm glad you feel that way."

Obi-Wan was sure that this was an answer that would be both honest and inoffensive, but he could feel the slight disappointment emanating from her.

"Oh!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, eager to change the mood, "I have some news about your plumbing problem."

Andra looked at him intently, all previous emotion erased. Obi-Wan could see it now: she put up a front to hide what feelings she had. It was a good front too; totally convincing if it hadn't been for her recent display of softer emotion.

"So what's going on?" she asked promptly.

"It appears that the pipes of another building run parallel to the pipes the Temple installed. Their much older and finding their owner has been difficult. If worse comes to worse, we may have to use your apartment to manually determine who they belong to," Obi-Wan explained.

"Would it make things go faster if I just let you have a look at them right away?" she asked brightly, "My walls are practically falling down anyway. You could come over on my day off and we'll see if the pipes have any ownership markings."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked; he couldn't believe what Andra had just said, "That would be excellent, Andra. When is your day off?"

"It's the day after tomorrow. Can you make it?"

"Yes, definitely," Obi-Wan responded excitedly. He was sure that after Andra's recent recoil from him that she wouldn't want to see him for a while.

"Then I'll see you in the morning then?" Andra confirmed.

"Morning it is," Obi-Wan beamed.

Obi-Wan and Andra finished their lunch shortly and chatted about trivial matters in their lives: interesting people they'd met, strange occurrences, favorite memories. Idle chit chat. Obi-Wan accompanied Andra back to her office and wished her a good day. Andra smiled and thanked him for thinking of her.

Obi-Wan felt very good about himself now. It was the feeling of helping someone else, he thought proudly. He did wonder why helping others had never felt the same way before though. As he walked back to the temple, he also noticed how beautiful the city was. It truly did look different. Befriending Andra had truly given him a new outlook on things. Life in the temple had fostered a bit of a negative tone toward the city, and hearing Andra's fond and happy memories of it gave him a whole new perspective. He was also very glad about her willingness to donate her apartment to the investigation of the pipes. Well, she did have proper plumbing to gain from the whole thing, so perhaps "donate" was a bad word…at any rate, she was very pleasant about the whole thing.

Obi-Wan sauntered into the temple in his new found pride and joy of his new friend. He smiled and properly greeted every Jedi, padawan, and youngling her came across. Again, Obi-Wan found his master poring over the pipe plans and other legal documents pertaining to the Temple's legal suit.

"Good afternoon, master," he said cheerfully.

"Sounds like you had a pleasant lunch date," Qui-Gon replied blandly as he examined a data pad.

"Actually, it was very pleasant," he replied, "and what's this business about a date?"

"Just a term. It's no different then if I said you had attended a lunch appointment. Did anything interesting happen?" Qui-Gon asked turning his gaze to Obi-Wan.

"Yes!" Obi-Wan said enthusiastically.

Qui-Gon braced himself for Obi-Wan's news.

"Andra volunteered to let us look at the pipes in her walls and ceiling to determine which set is leaking."

Qui-Gon breathed a heavy sigh, "Oh, are you sure that this is really necessary?"

"It's the fastest way to determine the source of the problem, Master. Andra was very persistent about the matter. After all, she is the one having to live with someone's sewage seeping into her home. She asked me to be at her apartment the morning after tomorrow to investigate the problem."

"You know, Obi-Wan, when I told you to make friends, I meant for you to make several friends, not just one and spend every waking moment with that person," Qui-Gon said, looking seriously at his padawan.

"Of course master," the young man replied, somewhat confused, "It was just coincidence that I happened to make friends with Andra first. And most of our time together is discussing the plumbing issue. Besides, I don't see a problem with spending my time with Andra. I like her and she likes me…I think. I'm still not really sure about whether she actually likes me or if she's just tolerating me."

"I just want you to understand the importance of having several distant friends as opposed to a few, or one, extremely close friend," Qui-Gon said cryptically.

"Yes, master" Obi-Wan replied obediently.

The day after next Obi-Wan woke bright and early and prepare for his visit to Andra's. He picked up a few supplies he might need for the job and took a list of possible markings the other set of pipes may be marked with. Unfortunately, he and Qui-Gon had acquired a list of several businesses that may have chosen the route through Andra's neighborhood. He strapped his equipment to his utility belt and checked to make sure his boot straps were secure as he walked out of the temple into the busy city morning again.

If it weren't for the time read out on several advertisements in the city, no one would be able to tell the difference in the time of day. In the dead of night, early morning, and late afternoon, the streets of Coruscant were packed with commuters of all sorts. It never failed to surprise him when he went to other planets and found that there were times when not a soul was awake but him.

Obi-Wan reached Andra's building and made his way to her apartment door. He had a great sense of excitement and anticipation. A week ago, the thought of seeing Andra would have made his stomach turn with nerves and embarrassment, but now he looked forward to seeing her. As he pressed the buzzer he thought about how much he and Andra had changed with respect to each other. As much as he liked and was comfortable with Andra, he still didn't have the spine to tell her that his name was Obi-Wan; not Ben.

"Hi there," Andra smiled as she opened the door, "You're just in time."

Obi-Wan walked into her apartment and found that a large portion of her ceiling had caved in over her living room furniture.

"I suppose this should make things easier. I had barely turned the faucet on and … BOOM! I've got a swimming pool in my living room," she explained as Obi-Wan examined the hole that was dripping greenish blue water. The slime he'd seen from the other day clung to the edge of the hole and dripped occasionally. He determined that there must be two broken pipes: which meant there was an even greater possibility that the Temple's pipes were causing problems for the neighborhood.

"Well, at least this substance isn't sludgy," he commented.

"Thank goodness too! That stuff was disgusting and impossible to clean!"

"Do you have a ladder?" Obi-Wan asked, turning wide blue eyes to her.

"Ah…yes. Yeah, I'll go get it," she said strangely before turning on her heels to the back of the apartment. Obi-Wan felt an odd sense of satisfaction at her reaction, and smirked to himself as he waited for her.

"Ladder," Andra said cheerfully as she emerged again.

"Thanks," Obi-Wan replied as he set it up and prepared to examine the pipe structure.

"Thank you, Ben," Andra told him, "I know this is a mutual endeavor, but I'm grateful for your concern for the neighborhood."

"Of course, Andra," Obi-Wan replied as he looked down at her, "It's my pleasure to help you. Now let's see what we've got up here."

"Oh, that first pipe belongs to the building, the one without any markings," Andra remembered quickly.

"Which one?" he replied, "I don't see one without markings."

"It's kind of a blue color."

"Right now everything looks green!"

"Gross. Here, let me show you then. Do you have a light?"

"Yes."

Andra climbed up on the ladder next to Obi-Wan and gazed into the hole. She grabbed Obi-Wan's hand and moved it around until she found the spot she was looking for.

"This one," she said quietly and looked at Obi-Wan. He looked up at the pipe Andra had put his hand on and then back at Andra.

"Thanks," he said, gazing into her eyes. They were very close, for lack of standing room on the ladder.

BUZZ

BUZZ

"Whoa!" Andra cried as she lurched backwards off the ladder. The buzzer had made her jump and fall. Quickly and instinctively, Obi-Wan positioned himself to catch her.

"Are you alright?" he asked when he had her secure in his arms.

"Yeah—," she breathed, a look of shock on her face.

Suddenly the door opened and a young man walked in.

"Good morning my darling!" the man called charmingly, "I have returned from my perilous journey of delivering silverware to the spoiled brat children of the royal family on Alderaan!"

The man looked over and saw Andra and Obi-Wan.

"What's this?" he asked innocently of Andra.

"Jake!" Andra cried as she released herself from Obi-Wan's arms and ran to the tall, thin, pale man with curly black hair and kisses him. Obi-Wan felt a short searing pain in his rib cage, then stifled and controlled it.

"The pipes finally exploded. This is Ben, he's helping to figure out what the problem is and fix it," she explained to Jake.

"I told you there was something wrong with those new pipes. Those damn Jedi always going around and screwing up city dwellers' lives," Jake said cheerfully as he walked over and shook Obi-Wan's hand, "Hey there, Ben; nice to meet you. I'm Jake, Andra's boyfriend. So you're a plumber?"

Obi-Wan's heart burned with discontent.

"No, a Jedi," he said sternly.

Jake stared at him with a subtle look of shock, "Really. Well in that case, Andra and I can handle this on our own and you can high tail it out of here."

"Jake!" Andra shouted, "He's helping me."

"No, no, I'm sure he's got more important things to do. Or perhaps it's you that he has in mind," Jake said coldly.

"Jake, don't be stupid!" Andra argued.

"Now see here," Obi-Wan demanded of Jake, "I'm here to help Andra with her plumbing problem as well as help the temple with the suit being imposed on us."

"Ah! Now there's the real reason you're here. You Jedi don't really care about the city dwellers. You're only here to cover the temple's mistakes and use your special powers on us dimwits to make things all nice again," Jake sneered at Obi-Wan.

"That's not true! What do you know of the Order? Everything we do is to better YOUR life! And all you can do is bad mouth us?" Obi-Wan said vehemently.

"Oh yeah, you're making my life better. Sure, I can see that, with all you people gone to outer rim planets all the time solving household disputes over things that don't even matter. A city dweller's lucky if they ever see a Jedi outside the temple or one of their fancy transports that no city dweller could ever afford!" Jake spat back.

"Jake stop it!" Andra cried as she stepped between him and Obi-Wan.

"No, Andra! This fake is just using you!"

"How dare you!" Obi-Wan yelled and stepped toward Jake.

"No, how dare you, Force-Boy! Taking advantage of a good woman like Andra," Jake stepped toward Obi-Wan.

"Jake, STOP! Just go home and I'll come by later," Andra pleaded as she pulled on his arm.

"No, that's alright Andra," Obi-Wan said calmly, "I'll come back at a better time."

"Over my dead body you will!" Jake said.

"I believe that's Andra's decision," Obi-Wan growled.

"Jake! That'll be fine Ben, I'll see you later," Andra replied as she walked him to the door.

"I'll see you later," Obi-Wan said as he left the apartment.

"I'll se you later," Andra replied as she shut the door.

"What do you mean, 'That'll be fine'!" Obi-Wan heard Jake shout, through the door.

"I mean I'll have him back to help me fix this problem with the pipes," Andra snapped back at him.

"Did you know he was a Jedi?" Jake demanded.

"Of course I knew! I'm not a moron!"

"Then why in the galaxy would you let him near you let alone in your home!"

"He's not like the others, Jake."

"That's what you say now. Did you forget it was his kind that let Della, your baby sister, DIE in the street? Did you! They don't care about us, Andra. You know that better than anyone else in the city."

Obi-Wan was shocked by what he heard. He couldn't believe it. How had the Jedi let a child die? How was it their fault to the extent that there were city dwellers that hated the order and counted them as an enemy? Obi-Wan walked quickly back to the temple to see if he could find any answers. Did Andra really see him as a heartless killer?


	6. Chapter 6

BitterSweet

Chapter 6

The sun shone brightly down on Obi-Wan as he walked backed to the temple not more than a few hours after he had left it. He'd planned to spend the whole day at Andra's; now he didn't know what to do. Of course, Qui-Gon would have some task for him to fulfill; with all the time he'd been spending with Andra, he was sure that Qui-Gon had a stack of tasks a mile high for him to do. A very small and meek feeling inside of Obi-Wan wanted to find out what had happened to Andra's sister, but most of him didn't. He was afraid that he would find something credible; a legitimate reason for her to hate the Jedi and if he found that he wasn't sure if he could continue their relationship as friends. Obi-Wan desperately wanted to keep Andra as a friend...

Obi-Wan solemnly walked into his empty quarters.

'Qui-Gon must be out attending to more business with the pipes,' he thought as he prepared to take a long hot shower. The day, as far as Obi-Wan was concerned, had been a total failure and was completely wasted. All he wanted to do was, well…anything that took his mind off of Andra.

'Why is Andra with that hot-headed Jake, anyway?' he thought as he let the water pour over him in hot streams, 'He's too possessive for an independent woman like her. Honestly, to think that she and I were…'

His head told him to laugh at the thought of him and Andra being romantically involved. But his heart, which more often than not led him to trouble, raced at it. He felt the same way he had when Andra had looked him in the eyes and been speechless. Deep down, he did want that, he wanted Andra to feel that way every time she looked at him.

'The Force knows I feel it when I look at her…'

The thought caught Obi-Wan off guard and his eyes flew open to the steam and moisture of the shower. He hadn't meant to think it; he'd been suppressing it, er… controlling his emotions, for days. He knew he couldn't feel this way about her, but he did, and he liked it. He ran the hot water over his face to try and calm down the turmoil within him; he had to stop these feelings. It was unbecoming of a Jedi.

'Andra doesn't want a Jedi…she wants Ben…'

Again, his thoughts took him by surprise. Who was Ben anyway? Was he really a different person when he was with Andra or could she not remember his real name and Ben sounded close enough? It didn't really matter, when all was said and done. Whether Ben was "real" or not, it didn't change the feelings he was having or the feelings that Andra was having for him…whoever he was.

After an hour or so in shower, Obi-Wan had finally cleared his head and found it suiting to spend some time meditating in one of the gardens. He dried and dressed and exited the wash room and prepared to venture to the room of many fountains. As he walked out the door, he was suddenly greeted by his master.

"Ah, back so soon Obi-Wan?" he asked cheerfully.

"Uh, there was an incident," Obi-Wan stammered, shocked by his master's sudden appearance.

"Really? What kind? Walk with me, padawan," Qui-Gon asked him soothingly.

"Andra's friend Jake stopped by and we had an altercation," Obi-Wan explained.

"Altercation; over what?"

"Jake and Andra don't think highly of the Jedi order. Jake is," Obi-Wan braced himself for what he was about to say, "highly protective of Andra and there was an incident several years ago that resulted in the death of Andra's sister. Their families blame her death on the absence of Jedi Knights in the city."

Obi-Wan couldn't spit it out. The mere thought of calling Jake Andra's 'boyfriend' sickened him. His efforts did not go unnoticed by Qui-Gon though. The experienced Jedi Master knew that Obi-Wan was holding something back about the relationship between Jake and Andra. Little did he know that the relationship was one of a romantic nature.

"It is unfortunate that they feel that way. I'm sad to say that it is a sentiment that they share with much of the Coruscant community. But, you told me that you and Andra were getting along well? She can't be totally convinced of the 'Jedi Conspiracy'," Qui-Gon replied, interested in his padawan's response.

"She says that she likes me for my character," Obi-Wan smiled.

He knew that she'd never said anything like that to him, but deep down inside, he did believe that that was the reason she didn't despise him the way that Jake did. Not that he cared what Jake thought anyway since the man was obviously a separatist despot. Obi-Wan could feel the admiration towards him from Andra though; that he was sure of. So, in a way, he wasn't really lying to his master at all.

Qui-Gon stopped and looked at him with a raised eye-brow, "Is that so?" he said with a crooked smile.

"Yes, it is," Obi-Wan laughed. He knew when his master was joking with him, and doing so now meant that all Obi-Wan – no, Ben. All that Ben had hid from Qui-Gon had been successfully hidden. Not that Ben was hiding much; it was certainly nothing important or of galactic security. There was no harm in Ben avoiding a few minor details in the conversation.

The rest of the day and evening went well. Qui-Gon seemed to be in a light and cheerful mood. They didn't even discuss the pipe issue once. Obi-Wan didn't know what had happened while he was gone at Andra's, but it must have been good to lift his master's spirits so high. To make things better, Obi-Wan's old friend Reeft was back from a mission with his master. Obi-Wan quickly took advantage of the rare opportunity to catch up with his childhood friend.

Despite all the happiness and joy of the evening, Obi-Wan still thought of nothing but Andra. He had to be careful of what he said to Reeft about Andra. What he wanted to do was spew out every emotion he was feeling, but he knew what Reeft would say. Reeft was a very good Jedi who adhered to the Jedi code far better than Obi-Wan did. He would tell Obi-Wan that he needed to walk away from Andra; that to form a bond with her would place them both in danger and would make him susceptible to the Dark Side.

As much as Obi-Wan didn't want to, he knew that he would eventually have to confide in his master. It wasn't a question of honor or duty, but the mere fact that he was the only one that Obi-Wan truly trusted and that Obi-Wan would need his friendship and guidance to truly understand his situation. Qui-Gon didn't always play by the book; there must have been a point in his youth when he met someone that consumed his every thought with joy and anticipation.

'Another day,' Obi-Wan thought to himself when they sat in their quarters for evening meditation. Truth be told, Obi-Wan wasn't even sure what would happen between him and Andra now that Jake was in the mix. Did Andra love Jake? Obi-Wan pushed that though away faster than it had entered his mind. She couldn't possibly be attached to something with that sort of temper.

That night Obi-Wan dreamt of Andra again; another nightmare. He dreamt that he woke with Andra beside him. She lay there in his bed like an ephemeral vision, as if she were nothing more than smoke and light. Obi-Wan touched her cheek and it was softer than the softest silks. He touched her lips and they were warm and smooth like the skin of a delicate fruit. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders in delicate strands like some dark liquid contained in the form of her hair.

'Andra!' a voice boomed.

Andra's eyes flew opened in panic and stared into Obi-Wan. Jake appeared in Obi-Wan's frame of vision, dressed all in black with a holstered blaster. Obi-Wan stood to face Jake, hand on the hilt of his light saber, Andra shielded behind him.

'Help me, Ben' he heard her voice echo behind him. Jake fired his blaster once at Obi-Wan. His trained muscles easily deflected the shot and sent it through Jake's heart.

'Ben' he heard Andra echo again. Obi-Wan turned to have Andra wrap her arms around him. They leaned in close to kiss, but the moment before their lips met, Obi-Wan opened his eyes to see tears of blood dripping from Andra's eyes.

Obi-Wan woke up in a sweat. He didn't even stop to contemplate the meaning of his dream; he didn't want his logic to tell him what his heart didn't want to hear. He walked quickly to the wash room to dowse his face with cold water. He stared intently into the dark water of the wash basin, trying to forget about the dream. Andra did need him and Jake was not going to be a problem in that situation.

The morning brought Obi-Wan little comfort. His schedule called for a morning work out and he'd barely gotten a moment's sleep after the nightmare. He dragged himself from bed and dressed in sparring clothes. Qui-Gon was awake and stretching in the main room of their quarters. He'd obviously gotten a full night of restful sleep. This morning's work out was not going to be one of their better spars. Obi-Wan could feel a very painful ass-kicking ahead of him.


	7. Chapter 7

BitterSweet

Chapter 7

Obi-Wan catapulted off one of the training room walls and over his master's head. The stunt was in vain though as Qui-Gon grabbed his ankle and dragged him back to the ground. After years of sparring with the man, Obi-Wan should have seen that coming. He quickly recovered by knocking Qui-Gon's feet out from under him. The maneuver enabled Obi-Wan to regain his footing, but the end result was a standstill.

"You seem distracted, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon remarked as he lunged at his pupil. Obi-Wan countered the move with a defensive action and side-stepped to higher ground.

"Nightmares," Obi-Wan responded as he aimed a blow at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon easily dodged it and leveled himself with Obi-Wan.

"Yes, I heard," Qui-Gon responded. This took Obi-Wan by surprise. What had his sleep divulged to Qui-Gon about Jake and Andra?

"You seemed to be in much duress," Qui-Gon continued as he took advantage of Obi-Wan's confusion.

"What did I say?" Obi-Wan asked, dodging blow after blow now. Obi-Wan had temporarily given up his offense in hopes of being able to provide an excuse for his deep sleep ramblings.

"Nothing," Qui-Gon replied simply as he yanked Obi-Wan's legs out from under him; Obi-Wan took his tenth hard fall of the morning, "You were just making sounds."

"Pay attention to your opponent, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said coolly.

Obi-Wan jumped up and made an attempt at attacking Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon easily avoided all of Obi-Wan's advances. His expression had now changed from one of concentration in battle to one of concentration in heart. He studied Obi-Wan's every futile move in search of the hidden demon within. Something had made Obi-Wan very upset last night, and he was refusing to tell Qui-Gon.

"What was your nightmare about?" Qui-Gon asked bluntly as he pinned Obi-Wan to the ground. Obi-Wan coughed and tried to retrieve his breath.

"Andra—," Obi-Wan spat out unintentionally; his insides froze as soon as her name left his mouth.

Qui-Gon stood up and gave Obi-Wan a hand, his face puzzled. Why the hell would Obi-Wan be having a nightmare about Andra? From what he'd been told, the woman was barely half of Obi-Wan's size with a generally sweet disposition.

"Andra?" Qui-Gon was determined to find out what the whole story was with this woman.

"I dreamt she was in danger," Obi-Wan replied shamefully. Qui-Gon smiled at his apprentice, and draped his arm over his shoulder.

"Obi-Wan, you have the heart of a true hero," he laughed, "Let's get cleaned up and we can get back to work."

Obi-Wan breathed an internal sigh of relief and smiled as well.

'That was close,' Obi-Wan thought as he showered off. Again, the shower provided a good place for Obi-Wan to 'meditate' on his affairs with Andra and Qui-Gon. Being in the shower reminded him of Andra. His thoughts began to wander away from his paranoia of Qui-Gon and he began to think of that euphoric moment in his dream. Andra's arms gently resting on his body, her lips only inches from his. He knew that desire was severely frowned upon in the temple, but he hadn't felt such a strong desire for anything since Qui-Gon had accepted him as his padawan. His desire for Andra possibly surpassed his boyhood obsession with being chosen as a padawan. He had to see her again, and soon. Obi-Wan felt like he would be eaten from the inside out if he didn't see Andra again. Perhaps she would look at him in that same way again; the way she had on the step ladder: her eyes wide and locked on his. She must have felt something then and Obi-Wan wanted deeply to draw that out again.

Determined and focused, Obi-Wan dried and dressed in preparation to find Andra. Now the only problem was thinking of an excuse to leave the temple.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon called from across the room, "would you go out to the city and bring back some general plumbing supplies. I want to construct a similar pipe and see exactly what kind of pressure would erode standard piping."

It was a miracle from nowhere. Obi-Wan had been given the opportunity to seek out Andra. It would take him plenty of time to locate all the supplies Qui-Gon would need.

"Of course, master," Obi-Wan replied, "I'll return with the supplies." Obi-Wan practically ran out of the temple as soon as he was out of his free from his quarters. It was mid-day and Andra would be either at work or at lunch. In hopes that Andra was also thinking of him, Andra made his way to Dax's Diner.

To Obi-Wan's great surprise and delight, Andra was sitting alone at a booth in the window. His heart fluttered with his great luck; he could hardly believe she was there. Obi-Wan calmed himself and entered the diner. She was staring at her sandwich, which presently only had one bit out of it. Obi-Wan signaled to the waitress for a drink and sat down across from Andra.

"Hi, Ben," she smiled brightly, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," he replied gently.

Andra stared at him for a moment, as if not sure what to say.

"Well," she began, "I'm glad you showed up, because I wanted to talk to you about yesterday."

Obi-Wan braced himself. He knew that the situation could easily go either way.

"I'm really sorry for the way Jake acted. He's been gone on business for a while and he was just aggravated that he didn't catch me alone," Andra explained.

"Oh, well," Obi-Wan dug up a reluctant smile from within his writhing, jealous insides, "don't worry about it. I just hope there aren't any hard feelings."

"That may be asking a bit much," Andra laughed.

"Really?" Obi-Wan's false smile transformed into a truth at the sound of her laughter.

"Remember when I told you that I didn't care much for the Jedi? Well, Jake's disposition is even worse. Jake and I have been friends since we were small children; we grew up together. It's only been recently that we've been romantically involved, but we've always been very close; it's part of the reason we've had a shared disposition toward the Jedi – present company excepted. His father was a peace officer in the city for years and years. He was killed in the line of duty a few years ago. His mother was a teacher and she died when we were still in school…"Andra trailed off on the last comment as if it was difficult for her to say, and she became quiet for a few moments.

"I just wanted you to know that Jake and I have been through a lot and sometimes he goes over-board when he thinks he needs to protect me."

"It's more than understandable," Obi-Wan said with compassion. His smile had reverted to a forced image, though his tone did not reflect it.

"Will Jake be offended if I drop by your apartment again to finish with the pipes?" Obi-Wan asked playfully.

Andra laughed, "No. I spoke to him about how important it is that those pipes be fixed, and HE certainly can't do it! No, it won't be a problem at all!"

"When is a good time for me to come by again?"

"How about the day after tomorrow, when I get home from work? I can make dinner for you," Andra replied happily.

"That will be fine," Obi-Wan smiled, a genuine smile this time.

Obi-Wan spent the entire day with quite a large smile on his face. Despite the humiliating defeat to his master this morning, he counted the day as one of his best. He had conquered yet another obstacle regarding Andra. He liked the sound of that idea in his head. Obi-Wan liked to overcome problems and difficulties; therefore his friendship with Andra did have substance to it.

Qui-Gon sat and pondered his padawan's recent actions since his meeting of Andra. Qui-Gon began to think about just how bad of a situation Obi-Wan had gotten himself in this time. Of course, was it even a _bad_ situation? Would Obi-Wan really lose his focus by spending time with Andra? He knew he'd been reluctant to trust the boy since day one, and had been fiercely trying to give him more trust over the years. Obi-Wan was a young man, and he was going to make mistakes no matter how much sense Qui-Gon tried to beat into him. Obi-Wan was human, just like he was, and he had to account for the fact that humans are the most illogical and passion driven creatures in the galaxy.

'That passion could cost Obi-Wan dearly,' Qui-Gon thought. Obi-Wan's thoughts were becoming increasingly pre-occupied with Andra and it was becoming more obvious. He'd let it slip during the spar that he'd dreamt about her and the hesitance in his voice told Qui-Gon that it was more than just a dream of saving her from danger. He hated the thought of losing another padawan and the thought of Obi-Wan walking away from the Jedi was even worse. Obi-Wan had the potential to become a truly great Jedi, and now all that stood in the way was a woman. Qui-Gon smiled at the cliché of the situation.

'It's always a woman…'he thought. Another thought occurred to him at that moment: did Andra know what was happening to Obi-Wan? Was she aware of the true situation? Obi-Wan may hate him for it, but Qui-Gon needed to speak with Andra about her "relationship" with Obi-Wan. He gave a great sigh at thought about how long it might take Obi-Wan to return with standard plumbing supplies. He didn't really need them; Qui-Gon just wanted a few moments to truly think and reflect about the delicate situation at hand, and he knew that Obi-Wan would be concerned that he had leaked too much information about his forbidden emotions.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Obi-Wan walked the busy Coruscant streets and cursed himself for his laziness. How could he let his guard down like that and slip such an intimate detail to Qui-Gon?

'Of course,' he thought, 'You shouldn't be hiding things from your master anyway.' Obi-Wan swatted at his conscience as if it were an annoying fly in his face that refused to go away. The decision seemed clear: it was either Qui-Gon or Andra. Obi-Wan did not like those choices one bit. Qui-Gon was like a father to him; he'd begged the man to train him and nearly killed himself proving that he was worthy of such an illustrious master. But Andra, now she was something different. She was like nothing Obi-Wan had ever known before. She was as tough as any woman at the temple, but soft and gentle in a way he'd only heard about. He face was so vibrant and alive with emotion; it would change in the blink of an eye to express something totally different. And her touch was electric…no, not going to go there. Obi-Wan had to pull himself together if he was going to come out of this situation alive. He knew Qui-Gon would be cross with him, or at least disappointed.

He knew Qui-Gon would want to speak with him eventually, and he had to have a good reason for his actions or else. He thought about why Andra made him feel the way that he did. It was supposed to be serious thinking, but it quickly turned to pleasure when he thought of how she had fallen into his arms not so long ago.

He wandered into a parts store and began to glance over the shelves, looking for the standard pipe his master had requested. He felt horribly guilty for the way he was thinking. Every time he thought of his master, he resented him for the thought of losing Andra. It was a childish emotion, and one that didn't sit well with him. This situation was not going to end well, whichever way it went.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Apologies for not updating in so long. I got married and started a new semester at school, so things have been pretty crazy. All this adrenaline, however, has provided me with a new wind for writing. The chapters may be shorter, but I hope to pack more substance into them so you can get to the end faster. Enjoy!

Bittersweet

Chapter 8

Qui-Gon rang the buzzer at Andra's apartment. He had to do this for Obi-Wan's own good and partially for his own peace of mind. There was a glimmer of hope in the back of his mind that Andra would be shocked and confused when asked about her relationship with Obi-Wan; that her account would be one of short conversations and frustration with the whole situation. He hoped that this would be what he found after speaking with Andra.

The door opened and an attractive young woman with dark hair answered the door. She barely looked a few years younger than Obi-Wan. She was dressed casually and wore a wary expression on her face. She looked like a child to Qui-Gon.

"Can I help you?" she asked as she shielded most of her body with the large heavy door.

"Andra?" he asked, just to make sure that this wasn't the woman's younger sister.

Andra stiffened and furrowed her brow.

"Yes. Can I help you?" Her tone had become defensive with a hint of agitation. Qui-Gon could tell that she had many reasons for a high guard. Her mind had begun to spin with calculations as she stared at the large man outside of her home. He felt sorry for her that life in the city had jaded her at such a young age. He didn't need Obi-Wan's reports to know that Andra had been through many hardships in her life.

"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, a friend of Obi-Wan's," he said politely and with a friendly smile. She looked at him in confusion and began to back away from the door to close it.

"A jedi. Short brown hair, blue eyes, long braid…" Qui-Gon thought a description might help her remember. His hopes grew that their relationship was really more of a brief acquaintance. Unfortunately, her eyes lit up at the description.

"Oh! Ben! Yes, please come in. Is he alright?" she said as she opened the door to let him in. Her reaction to the description crushed Qui-Gon's hopes of a short and simple conversation. The fact that she'd adopted a new name for his padawan also depressed his esteem. He quietly walked into the apartment and looked around. The ceiling was patched in several places, in accordance with Obi-Wan's stories. The place seemed clean except for the water stains under the patched ceiling.

"What can I help you with?" she asked as she gestured a seat to him.

"Well," Qui-Gon began as he thought about how he should go about investigating the situation, "I wanted to find out more about your help with our current dilemma."

"Yeah, Ben's been a real help with the pipes here. They just keep busting and flooding the whole apartment. He tells me you've been making some headway to finding a solution."

Her tone was cheerful and conversational, not at all the dame as when she had first answered the door.

'Obi-Wan makes her feel very comfortable,' Qui-Gon thought, 'Comfortable enough to invite a stranger into her home.' He didn't like this small bit of information. It meant that she thought herself close to Obi-Wan. Things were already going down hill and Qui-Gon had to continue with a smile.

"I was a bit concerned that he was intruding into your life. He tells me that you're not fond of the Jedi."

Andra smiled, "He's not intruding at all. I actually find myself enjoying his company. He's not like other Jedi, he's seems more human – no offense. I've just not had the ideal experience that most people speak of when they encounter a Jedi."

"I'm glad to know that my apprentice has been able to provide you with a different view," Qui-Gon replied with a soft smile, "I take it he's been very handy around the apartment."

"That, and he's just been so pleasant. We've had lunch and several interesting conversations. I had no idea before what a family like environment the Jedi order can be. I didn't even know that a Jedi could be so open about such a topic. I used to think that the Jedi were more concerned with, well, other things than connecting with people."

Things just kept getting worse. Qui-Gon listened intently on the intonation of her voice when she spoke about Obi-Wan. It was warm and thoughtful, which meant bad news for Qui-Gon. He was certainly more concerned than ever that Andra would cause Obi-Wan to lose sight of what he had chosen time and time again over his life. Then he began to think that maybe this wasn't such a travesty. If Obi-Wan and Andra did have such strong feelings for each other, then what was the crime? Perhaps it was Obi-Wan's destiny to be with this woman and he was just mucking things up. The instinct to dissolve the situation still lingered in him, though and he pressed on.

"Has Ben investigated the rest of the building?" Qui-Gon asked congenially.

"I don't know," Andra said with a puzzled expression, "He's never said anything to me about the other apartments. I don't really talk to my neighbors, so I wouldn't know from them. I don't even know if the pipes are busting in the rest of the building or if it's just me and my bad luck."

Qui-Gon knew very well that Obi-Wan had not investigated any of the other apartments; he just wanted to hear a glimmer of a confirmation from Andra. He glanced around the apartment and rested on a picture of Andra and another young man.

"What a lovely picture," Qui-Gon said with a smile as he pointed to the picture.

"Oh that," Andra laughed, "That me and my boyfriend a year or so ago. We weren't dating then, but we did have a good time that night. We were celebrating his promotion."

"You look like you care about each other very much."

"We've always been there for each other; since we were younglings. Sometimes it feels like we're all we have left in the galaxy. Jake can be such a wonderful person," Andra gave a heavy sigh, "and other times he can be a nightmare."

"How so?" Qui-Gon asked, shifting his gaze to Andra to read her face.

"He came over one afternoon and found me and Ben repairing the ceiling. He got this crazy idea that Ben was there to more than just help. When he found out that Ben was a Jedi, he went berserk. It was just his way of defending me, but he still over reacted. He's still suspicious that Ben is a person I'm having an affair with; what a stupid thought. He lost his parents some years ago and I know he'd be devastated if he lost me. He also partially blames the Jedi for the death of his mother, but that's a _very_ long story."

"I'm sorry that he feels that way," Qui-Gon told her quietly.

"Yeah…" Andra whispered, "It was a difficult time for both of us."

There was a moment of silence and Qui-Gon saw the expression of worry return to Andra. Her conflict with the Jedi was very deep and soaked in hurt rather than anger. Her eyes became dark and sad, as if she had left the room and gone somewhere else. Her mind became quiet and Qui-Gon could almost feel the pain inside of her. The anger was barely a shadow of her thoughts; there was barely enough for Qui-Gon to detect. It was like a sleeping giant, ready to explode when subjected to just the right amount of pressure.

"My sister was killed in the city," Andra began, "It was a riot. There was so much violence and anger. I stayed home that day because I told my mother I didn't feel well. But my sister went to school. Jake's mother was her teacher. They and some other students were outside. The police couldn't stop the rioters; there were too many. They needed the Jedi to subdue the crowd. Jake ran to the temple and begged someone, anyone, to help. He begged and begged but no one would listen or he'd be redirected and redirected again. He finally gave up and ran back to the school; but it was too late. His mother and my sister had already been killed in the cross-fire. They were found in an ally way, they'd been trying to escape the riot. I was devastated when I was told that my baby sister, she was only five, had been killed and the Jedi did nothing when a little boy begged for their help in their home."

Tears had begun to streak down Andra's face as she recounted the sorrowful tale. Qui-Gon knew what day she had been talking about. It had been a horrible day for the Jedi when the news stories spoke of their negligence to their own planet. It was the only time he'd been ashamed to be a Jedi, until now. Andra had every right to hate the Jedi and Jake even more so.

"I told you because I wanted you to know how much Ben has helped me. I haven't so much as whispered any of this to him, even though I owe him so much. Having him in my life, and so close to my life has made my days easier than they were. I don't want you to think that I'm hanging around Ben so that I can be there to watch him fall and then report it. He makes the hate subside, even for just short moments, and it feels so good; so peaceful."

"Thank for that privilege Andra," Qui-Gon said quietly, "I understand how you feel. And even though you have every right to hold onto that anger, I am glad that you've been able to let it go. I will bother you no longer, and I must be on my way."

Andra nodded and rose to see him out. She opened the door and looked him in the eyes with her own that were large and watery.

"When will I see him again?" she asked.

It was like stab to the heart for Qui-Gon. He could tell that she needed him, if only for a brief moment.

"Soon," he said, with a small and forced smile. She smiled back to him and Qui-Gon left the apartment.


	9. Chapter 9

Bittersweet

Chapter 9

'This is very bad,' Qui-Gon thought. The young woman had bonded with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan gave her hope and that was bad news for Qui-Gon. Yes, he was glad that his apprentice was able to make the world a little brighter for someone, but this…

What Obi-Wan is doing for Andra is not a reflection of his Jedi training. Had Obi-Wan been an illegal freighter, Andra would have a new outlook on illegal freighters. This was not something for he, or the Jedi to be proud of. Worse, though, it was also not something to be ashamed of. Obi-Wan had become a warmer person since meeting Andra.

From the perspective of a Jedi, Obi-Wan had become irresponsible and irrational. He was distracted during his duties and completely blowing off some just to be with her. He had allowed his emotions to rule his actions. Particularly, he had allowed his emotions for Andra to overrule all other responsibilities in his life.

While these characteristics were unbecoming of a Jedi, they were, Qui-Gon had to admit, quite admirable in a romantic partner. Obi-Wan was showing signs of becoming a complementary component in Andra's life. Andra herself was also proving to be an essential piece in Obi-Wan's life. She denied it, but she was clearly falling in love with him. Obi-Wan had been lost long ago and didn't even try to deny it. She however, was falling hard and fast and barley recognized it. What made things worse for Qui-Gon, as he mulled over her words and actions, was that she needed him. The look on Andra's face when she spoke of Obi-Wan made things more than clear that he made her feel like a better person.

Qui-Gon quietly laughed at himself.

'You did a fine job of raising a good man, but have once again managed to lose another Jedi…'

A part of him felt like he had failed…again. In his heart, he was glad that Obi-Wan could feel such a powerful emotion as love and be able to inspire it in someone else. But, that nagging voice in the back of his head kept insisting that he had failed the Jedi Order. He'd sent one more person out of the folds instead of dedicating them to it.

'The Force works in mysterious ways…'he thought as he arrived home and braced himself for a very uncomfortable conversation with his apprentice.

Obi-Wan had already been home for a while when he heard he whoosh of the doors. Qui-Gon was back and Obi-Wan mused over where his master could have been all this time. He usually told Obi-Wan where he was going, but this time he hadn't. Previous experience told Obi-Wan that things weren't good when his master forgot to tell him where he was going. Things were worse if he had intentionally not told him where he was going. Obi-Wan decided to act cool when he master walked in the room.

Qui-Gon sat down at the table and looked at the young man. He desperately did not want to have this talk! Obi-Wan looked at him with beguiling eyes, pretending to be completely innocent and oblivious. Truthfully, Obi-Wan felt like his master could destroy him at any moment.

'Now or never,' Qui-Gon thought, and he took a deep breath.

"What are your intentions, Obi-Wan?" he asked firmly.

"About what—"

"Do not lie to me," Qui-Gon said quickly, cutting him off.

Obi-Wan was honestly afraid now. Not only did his master know about Andra (that was painfully obvious by now), but he had also caught him in a lie.

"She's special to me," he admitted quietly.

"How special? Is this some infatuation? What's going to happen when this pipe project of yours is resolved?"

"I think about her all the time. She makes me feel different; a way I've never felt before, and I like it," Obi-Wan was speaking softly and began to feel a sadness growing inside him. He could tell how this was hurting his master. He knew what the man had been through before. There had not only been the ordeal with Xanatos, but the problems that he had made for Qui-Gon as well. He'd begged the man to teach him, to give him a chance, and this was how Obi-Wan was going to repay him.

"I'm worried about you, boy," Qui-Gon knew he was being patronizing, but right now he didn't care, "Your emotions have taken over your judgment since you met Andra. Have you forgotten all your training? Have you abandoned your Jedi training? Is she worth it?"

Obi-Wan thought hard before he answered. It was a decision he'd been wrestling with for a long time now. Was she worth it? Was Andra worth giving up all his training and the only family he'd ever known?

"I don't know yet. I do know, that when I'm with her, I feel like I'm making a difference, like things are better because I'm with her. I feel free and happy; I don't want those feelings to go away. She's awakened something inside me that I didn't know I had."

Obi-Wan's stomach clenched and he suddenly felt like the twelve year old boy begging Qui-Gon for guidance. He could see the pain in his master's face and knew he deserved to feel as miserable as he did. He was being so selfish, but he could still not bring himself to let go of Andra.

"If it is the way of the Force, and what you truly want, I will not stand in your way, my padawan. It is a difficult thing for a Jedi to leave the order, and I believe that if you feel it is your only course of action, then you must do it," Qui-Gon stood and gave a half hearted smile. Obi-Wan smiled back.

"I will give this decision much thought master. I will not disappoint you," Obi-Wan replied. It wasn't much of an answer, but it was enough to put the light back in his master's eyes.

"Well then," Qui-Gon said, "I'll be expecting you to step up on your duties until you make that decision so I'm not left high and dry before my time!"

Qui-Gon gave a small chuckle and Obi-Wan joined him.

The Next Night

Obi-Wan straightened his tunic in the mirror. He'd finished all his work for Qui-Gon and was on his way over to Andra's. He actually felt better now that he and Qui-Gon had had their little talk. Obi-Wan felt far more relaxed than he had before and was actually getting more work done than he had before.

"Going out," he sad as he passed his master on the way to the door.

"Have a nice time," Qui-Gon replied as he continued reading his data pad.

Obi-Wan walked briskly in the early evening air. He stopped at a trinket shop and picked up a silk flower for Andra. It was something he'd seen when he was younger; a prince had brought several to his bride to be. Of course, it had turned out that the prince really wanted to kill the young woman, but the gesture was still romantic.

He arrived at her apartment and buzzed. After a few moments he buzzed again, and there was still no answer. Now he became worried. He leaned close to the door and concentrated. He could hear a faint sobbing and became concerned for Andra's safety. Using the Force, he opened the door and walked in, prepared to draw his lightsaber.

Inside, there was no danger. Andra was curled up in the corner of the living room with her face in her arms and knees and sobbing. She was a mess and Obi-Wan's heart broke for her.

"Andra…"he said as he put his arm around her, "What's happened?"

She sobbed for a few more minutes and tried to catch her breath.

"It's…it's…it's Jake…"she sputtered out, "he's left…he's left…."

"What? What do you mean he's left?" Obi-Wan tried to control the feelings of happiness he felt that Jake was finally gone.

"He's gone…he's not coming back…."she sobbed, "what'll I do….what'll I do…? How could he…how could he just…go like that? He didn't even talk to me about it…."

Andra began crying hysterically and clutched to Obi-Wan. He put his arms around her and stroked her hair.

"You'll be alright Andra. I'll stay with you," he whispered.

"Thank you…"she choked out as she clung tighter to him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

BitterSweet

Obi-Wan awoke the next morning in a sort of daze. He was leaning up against a wall and his first thought was that he was in a prison of some kind and was waking up from being knocked out. As he slowly opened his eyes he realized that this was not the case. In fact the room he was in was quite nice and vaguely familiar. He came further to his senses and realized that Andra was lying in his lap and that they were in her home. She was still fast asleep and he gazed lovingly at her. For a moment he thought he was having another dream.

He remembered what had happened last night and smiled a little knowing that she had come to him for comfort. She looked so beautiful lying there, fast asleep, he thought. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face and caressed her cheek. She didn't move. Her skin was soft. A little afraid, he put his face close to hers and breathed deeply. The perfume of her skin was intoxicating and he let in totally envelop him. The touch of a hand on his neck drew him back into reality and his heart began to race. Andra was awake now and looking up at him with trusting eyes. She gave a soft smile and he smiled back at her.

Obi-Wan lifted himself away from her to give her room to get up herself. She gave a little stretch and turned her neck.

"Good morning," she yawned.

"Good morning," Obi-Wan replied.

Andra looked around until she found a clock. Instantly, she jumped up and ran for the bedroom.

"Oh no!" she cried as she bolted, "I've over slept! I'm so late for work! I'll never make the transport!"

A little stunned, Obi-Wan stood up and cautiously walked over to the bedroom door. He'd never seen her bedroom, and now wasn't an ideal time to see it as Andra was frantically flinging clothes across it and dashing from one area to another.

"I'm so sorry, Ben! I must be keeping you too!" she turned and looked him in the eyes, "Thank you so much for staying with me though. I want you to know that I really do appreciate it, but I'm so late…"

"Andra," Obi-Wan interrupted her as an idea had entered his thoughts, "Call into work and take the day off."

It had suddenly occurred to Obi-Wan that Andra had not taken a single day of leave since he had known her and judged from her personality that she hadn't taken one any time before that.

She looked at him incredulously.

"What..?" she stammered. She looked like he had just asked her jump out the window.

"Call in and stay home," he replied firmly, "You work hard and deserve this time to relax. Spend the day with me."

Andra relaxed a little and looked at him questioningly before answering.

"Alright," she said and gave a little smile. Obi-Wan smiled at her as she walked over to her communicator and called her office to let them know that she would not be coming into work.

After a few minutes, she walked back to Obi-Wan with a large grin on her face.

"So what'd you have in mind, Jedi?"

Obi-Wan and Andra began their day together with a walk through the city. They looked in all the shop windows and laughed at various sights they saw along the way. The weather in the city was nice for a change. At the level where they were walking, they could see the sky and the sunlight. It was a clear and warm day. Around lunchtime, they agreed to go to Dax's diner and have something light.

"Thank you for this, Ben" Andra said as she picked at her food, "It's so nice to just relax and the company is exceptional."

She smiled and reached her hand across the table to touch Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled back at her.

"Anything for you, Andra."

Andra blushed slightly and Obi-Wan, no, Ben flashed her a mischievous smile.

"I have somewhere special I'd like to take you," he said as he gently grasped her hand on the table.

Ben walked Andra through the city streets. She persistently asked him where they were going. Giggles and laughter often erupted out of her as he replied with witty remarks.

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise and we couldn't go!"

"Come on, Ben! How secret does it have to be?" she laughed.

Finally they arrived in front of a large building that Andra did not recognize. Ben stared up at the doors and then at her. Andra gazed at the large building curiously.

"What is this, Ben?" she asked sincerely, still staring at the massive stucture.

"It's the Jedi Temple," he replied, still smiling.

Andra's smile faded and she looked frightened.

"Are we going in?"

"Of course," Ben replied. He drew her gaze to his, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You're going to love what I have to show you."

Andra looked reassured and Ben took her hand as they climbed the steps up to the entry-way.

"Come this way," Ben told her as they walked inside.

Andra looked around, unsure of her surroundings. She took note of the shiny floors and the dizzyingly high ceiling. Within the walls were busts of important looking people, some of whom she recognized from her childhood history courses. The building was quiet and she rarely saw another person. Ben took her through a few turns until they stood in front of another set of ornate and intimidating doors.

"This," Ben said quietly as he put his hand on one of the door handles, "Is the library. It literally holds the history of the galaxy."

Andra gave him a weak smile as he guided her into the room. All around them were shelves and screens. The room was giant. There were a few other Jedi in the room doing research, but they paid Ben and Andra no attention.

Ben guided Andra through the room and showed her the various forms of data the order held. There were many rooms of the electronic information. Each subject had its own data pad and holographic images. In another room, Ben showed her the tactical relics of the ancient days. This impressed Andra the most. Ben showed her ancient Jedi swords, something used before the invention of lightsaber technology. There were scrolls of parchment and weathered books all written by the most famous names in galactic history. There were even the orbs of the long gone Chularian civilization that still held advanced technological information that was yet to be deciphered.

"We should go now," Ben whispered as she reached for one of the orbs that was severely protected by glass and lasers. Andra nodded as she pulled her hand away and smiled at her friend. He was beaming as he led her back out into the hallway and led her down a different corridor.

"I want to show you one more room before it gets too late in the evening," he said to her. Andra, by now, was fully captivated by Ben's words as he explained their next destination.

"I used to come here as a boy often. It's a sanctuary of sorts for me. Some say that there is a specially balance of the Force within this room because it has been the favorite of many great Jedi Knights," Be explained as they reached another door.

This door was different from that of the library. It wasn't large or ornate; in fact, it was very plain. If she had been wandering around the temple on her own, she wouldn't have thought it was anything more than a utility closet. Until, that is, Ben opened the door.

To Andra's amazement, the room held a large and lush garden. There were fountains and waterfall as far as the eye could see. Plants of all different species and origin were growing side by side off of every surface. And from the ceiling, pure sunlight streamed in from a giant sky light revealing the bluest sky she had ever seen.

Andra gasped at the sight before her.

"It's called the Room of a Thousand Fountains," Ben whispered to her as they walked into the garden.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: I know that it seems I need to apologize every chapter, but I really am sorry that it takes so long for me to get a chapter up. The good news is that I do have an ending written for this story and I'm sorry if it isn't what you think it should be. Thank you to everyone who has read this far into the story! I anticipate three more chapters and a brief epilogue that I will try to churn out within the next month (I know, I know! You've certainly heard that before!). Enjoy what I have up for now and reviews are always greatly appreciated.

- Neonette

Chapter 11

BitterSweet

" I can't believe how beautiful this place is, Ben," Andra remarked as they wandered the various paths of the room.

"It really is a treasure. I've always felt fortunate to call this place part of my home," Ben replied as he sat down in a small clearing. Andra joined him in the grassy spot. It was a beautiful place that overlooked a lovely waterfall. In the distance, she could see one that towered above the others with swirling mist near the top.

Ben leaned back onto his elbows to take in the view. To his surprise, and utter delight, Andra too leaned back and rested herself against his chest.

"Thank you, Ben," she said serenely, "Thank you for sharing all these wonderful things with me. I never imagined that the Jedi Temple held all these amazing things. I'm very glad that I've been able to spend this time with you. It's special."

Ben looked down at her and gently stroked her hair.

"I'm glad that we've spent this time together as well, Andra." He stared at her and she gazed back at him. Ben felt sick to his stomach. It was an anxious feeling unlike he had ever felt before. There was an impulsive feeling in him that felt like a time bomb ready to go off. Andra's gaze softened and he felt her relax.

Ben didn't even realize what he was doing until his lip were gently pressed against hers. Andra briefly tensed and Ben thought he felt a slight electrical surge pass between them. Consciously, he abandoned his logical thought and gave in the impulsive feeling. He pressed his mouth more firmly against hers and gently grasped her neck, desperate for her not to pull away. His other arm wrapped around her body further preventing her escape.

Had Ben known what he was doing, he would have known that he didn't need to keep Andra from pulling away. She too had wrapped her arms around him and was gently manipulating his lips with hers. The feelings were intense and Ben could feel the surge of energy intensifying between them. He was a little afraid of the feeling but quickly pushed away the fear so he could enjoy this blissful new experience. He didn't want what was happening to end; it made him euphoric. Andra, eventually, did pull away. Her pulse and breathing had quickened and she was staring at Ben with a burning intensity.

"Wow," he breathed as he stared back at her. She gave a small smile and gently spoke to him.

"Haven't you ever been kissed before?" she said comically.

"No," Ben answered honestly, his boyish charm taking over.

Andra blushed slightly, "You could have fooled me."

"Would you like another sample?" Ben replied cunningly as he drew closer again.

"Ye-"

A light chime interrupted her and they both looked upwards. It was the temple's notification system that it would be closing to the public.

"Sounds like I should be going," she said softly. Andra had unconsciously used the time given by the signal to dig through her very dusty bag of dating tricks to keep men interested.

Ben nodded and stood, offering her a hand up. The two walked quietly, but closely, through the evening back to Andra's home. Halfway there, Andra quietly linked her arm with his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Ben couldn't believe the feelings rushing through him. He wanted more. He felt like pushing her up against the street side wall and kissing her again. The only thing that stopped him was the fear that he might frighten her away. The physical contact on the way home that she gave him though would be enough to tide him over for a little while though.

They reached her door and said good night. The evening light made Andra look even more beautiful to Ben. She opened her door and then turned back to him. She ever so gently pulled him back to her and kissed him with a soft and sensual kiss.

"Good night," she whispered against his lips.

And then she was gone. The door was shut and Ben stood there stunned. He took a moment to catch his breath and process all that had happened that day. On his way back to the temple, Obi-Wan walked a little taller and very proud of himself. There was a happiness pulsing through him that he had never felt before.

When he got back to the temple, Qui-Gon was already asleep and their room was dark. He quietly checked on his master before heading into his own bedroom and lying down on the bed. He let out a sigh and hugged his pillow, imagining it was Andra. Obi-Wan felt that his whole life had changed in this one day. For the first time in his life, he looked forward not to the next adventure or battle with his master but to seeing Andra and simply relaxing.

Author's note 2: Just for my own personal sanity, I have to apologize for the sappy scenes that have been written in this chapter. I find this side of Ben and Andra extremely boring and am embarrassed to write this chapter! However, it moves the story to where I need it to be and fulfills the mushy love of the romance part of this story. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this chapter more than I have enjoyed writing it!

- Neonette


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Bittersweet

Qui-Gon stared through the Room of a Thousand Fountains with the most confused feelings of his adult life. In some ways, he was sad and disappointed that a pretty girl was quickly pulling his most promising apprentice out the doors of the temple. In other ways, he was content that Obi-Wan had found happiness beyond what the temple could give him. A very small part in the back of Qui-Gon's mind felt resentment and rejection.

Obi-Wan had harassed him for weeks, nagged him incessantly to train him. He had said that he would make Qui-Gon proud, that he had to be taught by him and him alone. The boy had known how and why Qui-Gon was so reluctant to take another padawan. What made that small part of Qui-Gon more resentful was the fact that this was not the first time that Obi-Wan had attempted to throw away all his training and devotion to some passionate cause.

Who was this girl? What did Obi-Wan really know of her? Qui-Gon began to think as he walked back to his quarters. He and Obi-Wan both knew that she had good reason to hate the Jedi Order. So what was she doing seducing a Jedi? Perhaps that was just it. Qui-Gon let the irresponsible side of him take over and he smiled as he entered the living space of his quarters. Perhaps Andra's mission in life had become to dismantle the Jedi Order one Jedi at a time by seducing them and then breaking their hearts after they had left. Perhaps her goal was to emotionally break Obi-Wan to the point where he would not want to go back to the Jedi out of shame.

Qui-Gon sat down in a chair and looked out at the city. He gently shook the thoughts from his head.

"No…" he said to himself. He knew that these things weren't true. Andra was nothing more than a common city girl. No agenda, no evil plans, just a girl looking for some sense in the mad world she was living in. He knew that Obi-Wan had given her the peace of mind that she so desperately needed in one area of her life. Perhaps in was his destiny to be with her and that this encounter was only the beginning. Maybe Qui-Gon had been wrong about Obi-Wan being a great Jedi knight. Maybe Obi-Wan only desperately needed to be a Jedi so that he could provide Andra with this comfort and then move on from the Order to spend his life with her.

Qui-Gon got up from his chair and went to his bedroom. He knew he would not keep Obi-Wan from leaving if that was what he wanted. If Obi-Wan truly wanted to leave the order for Andra, he could be nothing but happy for him. He would certainly not be one to stand in the way of true love. This would definitely be the end though; no more padawans after Obi-Wan, three was enough for him.

The next morning, Obi-Wan awoke bright and early. Qui-Gon quietly walked out into the living area and nodded to his apprentice. Obi-Wan was beaming and Qui-Gon attempted to smile back. He couldn't shake the thought that these might well be the last few days he would ever have with his apprentice. Of course, he knew, that he and Obi-Wan would remain friends, but the nagging feeling of being a failure also haunted him.

"You came in late," he said conversationally to the young man.

"I walked Andra home," Obi-Wan replied.

"Have you made your decision?" Qui-Gon asked. It was blunt, but he wanted to get the conversation over with now instead of letting it drag on until he came to hate the situation.

"About what?" Obi-Wan asked innocently. He was now fidgeting with a new data pad that he hadn't seen before.

"About Andra," Qui-Gon was beginning to get impatient, "Are you going to choose her or the Jedi?"

Obi-Wan became very quiet and only pretended to look at the data pad now. He knew that the situation wouldn't go away easily and it had been nagging at him every second he wasn't with Andra.

"You've known that you had to choose, Obi-Wan. I don't like it any more than you do. But you cannot put Andra in the dangerous position that you know she will be in if you choose to stay. If you love her, then I know you'll make the right decision," Qui-Gon said calmly. He was heart broken to have to say this to him. He knew that the boy was blinded by his emotions and would probably lash out.

"You don't need to worry about Andra…Master," Obi-Wan said coldly. In his heart, Obi-Wan knew that what Qui-Gon was saying was right and that he actually did care about Andra's well being. However, Ben could only hear an old man trying to make him choose between being his pawn and being with the love of his life. He set down the data pad and walked to the door.

"I'm going to the library to work on this new case," he said as he walked out.

Qui-Gon was very disappointed in the situation. The young man that Obi-Wan had been was gone. It was as if all the years of discipline and training had simply been erased from his mind. The situation didn't get any better when Obi-Wan returned. The two barely spoke to each other and emotions between them tensed.

In the following weeks, Obi-Wan spent less time at the temple and more time with Andra. They went out to dinner and Ben bought her romantic gifts. He stayed out later each time and became a sort of ghost to Qui-Gon. Ben's responsibilities fell further to the wayside and Qui-Gon felt he was conducting research alone.

One evening it all became too much for him. Qui-Gon hadn't spoken to Ben in three weeks; not a single word had transpired between them. To make things worse, Ben had brought Andra back to the temple and they were both drunk. They didn't stay long, but they did wake Qui-Gon.

It was as if he was watching a stranger. Ben and Andra had come staggering through the doorway trying to stifle their drunk laughter. Despite their intoxication, they were both very happy. Ben shut the door and grabbed Andra around her waist in a seductive fashion. He pressed her up against a nearby wall and kissed her savagely. She embraced the actions and hungrily ran her fingers through his short hair. A quiet moan escaped her lips and Ben's mouth moved to her neck and chest.

"I'll be right back," he whispered as he slowly moved away from her and she slunk to the floor. Qui-Gon was sheltered by the darkness of the room and he knew that Ben would not be able to sense him. He was amazed that the boy could function at all with the level of intoxication he was at. Ben went into his bedroom and returned shortly with a clean tunic. Qui-Gon noticed for the first time that the one he was wearing had been torn.

Ben gave Andra a hand up and they disappeared from the room.

The next morning, Qui-Gon expected Ben to still be gone. To his surprise, he found the young man asleep on the couch and wearing the clean tunic he'd retrieved the night before. Ben was still in a deep sleep and Qui-Gon didn't bother to wake him. He was embarrassed greatly by his padawan's behavior and went to go shower instead.


	13. Chapter 13

Warning: This chapter is rated "Mature" for some sexual content. There are no explicit details, but some may find the situation offensive. There are blatant references to sexual situations and those who are opposed to such details should stop reading when they see this symbol: . I apologize now for any cheesy-ness.

Chapter 13

BitterSweet

This was it, Qui-Gon decided. Things had gone too far and was truly resenting Obi-Wan now. He wouldn't stand for it any longer. Obi-Wan's behavior was embarrassing to the both of them and Qui-Gon didn't care if he had to personally kick the boy out of the temple himself. He glanced around their quarters and saw no one.

'Typical,' he thought, 'Out gallivanting around again with his _girlfriend_.' The thought made Qui-Gon sick. Not because he found the idea of a companion nauseating, but because her presence was quickly dismantling the many years of training he had instilled in his pupil. It was like having someone come along and swiftly pull out the corner stone of a beautiful building and watching it collapse in slow motion.

He went into Obi-Wan's bedroom which had increasingly become a haven of filth and clutter. To his shock, the young man was actually sleeping in his bed. He looked like every other man of is age outside the Jedi Order. He was half covered with a blanket, one arm and one leg hung over the side of the bed, he was on his stomach with his mouth gaping open and a drooling a little bit. Qui-Gon grunted in disgust and wished it were Obi-Wan's real parents finding their boy like this instead of himself.

Apparently the grunt was enough to wake Obi-Wan. He jolted up right and blearily opened his eyes.

"Huh…?" he said as he yawned.

"Get up," Qui-Gon barked. He was through being nice. Obi-Wan needed a good smack in the head to bring him to his senses.

Obi-Wan was fully alert in seconds and stood at his full height in front of his master. It was very early in the morning and Qui-Gon could feel Obi-Wan's weakness within his defiance.

"It's over Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said firmly, "The time has come for you to stop embarrassing yourself and the Jedi Order. You're going to have to leave the Order. I'll put in…"

"No," Obi-Wan stated deeply, "I want to stay. Master, this is who I am. I am meant to be a Jedi Knight and it's part of the man that Andra loves. I will not leave and will not let force me out."

"Do not be foolish, boy," Qui-Gon said hotly, "You're disgracing this establishment with your behavior. You haven't attended properly to your duties in months; you've completely lost control of your senses. This cannot go on!"

"Look—," Obi-Wan began but he was cut off. A loud buzzing noise in the living space had interrupted them. They both knew what the noise meant and dashed out to their communication screen.

Qui-Gon pressed the screen to hear the message.

"Master Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to the High Council immediately for emergency orders."

"Guess we've got work to do," Obi-Wan said in his old tone. For a moment, Qui-Gon glimpsed the padawan that he used to know. He could feel Obi-Wan's excitement at the thought of a new mission. They had been grounded on Coruscant for some time now, and Qui-Gon had initially regarded Obi-Wan's behavior to this. After all, for several years it had been one whirlwind adventure after another and they had recently been stuck doing clerical work.

"We'll finish this later," he told Obi-Wan as they rushed out the door to meet with the High Council.

They reached the familiar room that rose high above the bustling city of Coruscant and bowed to the familiar faces.

"Thank you for your speedy response," said Mace Windu as he smiled at the pair, "We have great need for you in an altercation on Kashyyk."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan nodded their head in acknowledgement of the situation.

"Senator Yarua has hinted that this altercation may be the beginnings of a civil war," explained Adi Gallia, "Two of the Wookie sub-cultures have come to a violent clash and threaten the centuries of peace that the planet has worked so hard to maintain. There is a war lord in the Wookie nation of Casiiik who plans to extend his rule throughout Kashyyk and further. He has already completed expeditions to Endor to retrieve Ewok slaves for use as sacrificial soldiers. He must be stopped before he gains the support from any neighboring worlds."

"You will be leaving in the morning," continued Mace Windu, "a transport will be waiting for you in the north hangar. A complete file of the situation has been sent to your quarters. Good luck, Jedi."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan quietly bowed and exited the room. The two men walked briskly back to their quarters and Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan become more like his old self.

"Master," he said in his innocent tone, "Have you ever reasoned with a Wookie war lord?"

"Yes, Obi-Wan, I have," he replied coolly

"And?"

"It did not go well," Qui-Gon said with a mischievous smile, "It's going to be a hell of a mission."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Obi-Wan smiled back.

They were back; a team once more. A challenging mission was just what they needed and they couldn't wait to get going on it. Back in their quarters they checked their supply packs and downloaded the mission file onto their data pads. They spent several hours discussing tactics and possible scenarios. They researched the area they would be primarily dealing with and studied cities and roads for easy traveling. They looked through the government and law enforcement positions to see if there were any friends who might be able to help them. It was in the early evening when they began discussing the time frame for their mission and Obi-Wan's heart sank down to his boots.

"Andra…" he said suddenly, "I have to say good bye to her."

Qui-Gon nodded, he was only slightly disappointed that his padawan would be leaving now. However, he did hope that this trip might e to say good bye to her forever and he let his apprentice go.

"Go on," he said with an encouraging smile.

Obi-Wan smiled back and bolted out the door.

It was dark when he reached Andra's apartment and the city lights had just turned on. He buzzed her door and anxiously waited for her. He was slightly nervous. Ben was afraid of how she might react when he told that he had to leave and that it might be weeks before he came back or that he might even die. To him, death was nothing, just another part of the Force; but he knew that it was a loss to Andra and a loss that would hurt greatly. He had to tell her though, to leave and not tell her would simply be cruel and he loved her far too much to do that to her.

The door opened and Andra stood there with a beautiful smile on hr face. Her long dark hair hung in loose waves around her face and she was dressed casually…very casually. She had on a sleeveless shirt with very thins straps and a low neckline. The shirt hung gracefully over her grey pants that fit snugly around her legs. She was a vision to Ben and he greeted her with a sensual kiss.

"Oooh," she whispered as the broke apart, "And to what do I owe this very pleasant surprise?"

Andra shut the door and led Ben over to her couch.

"I have to go away, Andra," he said bluntly and waited for an outburst of emotions.

"Okay," she said simply, "On business?"

"Yes," he wasn't quite sure that she understood the situation yet, "Andra, I have to go away for quite sometime. I can't tell you the details, but I may not be back for days or weeks and it's a dangerous mission."

Andra smiled at him, "I understand, Ben. Really, I do. I knew that this would happen one day. I'll be fine, darling. I'll also be waiting for you when you get back from helping whoever it is that needs you."

Ben was relieved; she truly did understand and even seemed proud of him.

"Now," she began, "When are you leaving?"

"In the morning," he replied as she reached a slender hand behind his neck. Ben's temperature was already rising.

"Well then," she said huskily as she drew nearer, "I'll need to give you a proper send off now then, won't I."

"Oh, yes," Ben replied as he glanced her body over, "I think you will…"

His voice trailed off as Andra pressed her mouth to his in a very delicate kiss. She pressed her body to his just the way he liked it and he wrapped his arms around her. Ben let go of his control and allowed his most basic instincts to take over. Andra straddled herself over his lap and rubbed her body against his. Ben, needless to say, was thrilled; she had never done this to him before. Their kissing became more passionate and Ben started to feel a heat like he hadn't felt before.

"Oooh, feels like my Ben is enjoying himself," Andra whispered in his ear. Ben suddenly felt an intense wanting within him. They were both breathing heavy and Ben began devouring her neck. Andra began to pull away. Ben instinctively reached out to pull her back, hungry for more of her flesh, but stopped when he realized what she was doing. She had taken her shirt off and it suddenly clicked in Ben's mind what was going to happen.

Like a comet, he threw her on the couch and was on top of her, struggling to remove both his clothes and hers at the same time. Ben was never more sure of what he wanted then he was right then, and Andra was determined to give it to him.

It was the dead of night when Ben woke up. He was covered in cold sweat and completely exhausted. He was lying beside Andra in her bed and he studied her bare body in the moonlight, remembering the previous hours of passion they had just spent. She looked exquisite in nothing but the moonlight and Ben stroked her bare back with his fingers, careful not to wake her.

He had never felt more alive than when he'd heard her moaning and calling for him; their bodies tangled together in a jumble of flesh and sweat. He wanted more, but they were both exhausted from their romp together and Ben knew he had to get back to the temple.

He gently kissed her shoulder and stood from the bed. Peripherally, he saw her stir and her eyes flutter open. Ben walked out into the living space and looked around for his clothes. He felt slightly guilty leaving Andra's apartment in the state that it was. There were clothes, pillows, and furniture everywhere. It looked s if their had been a battle in her living space. Ben smirked to himself; there had been a battle of _some sorts_ in there, one where both sides ended victoriously.

He finally found his clothes and quickly dressed in the dark. When he had finished, Andra surprised him from behind with a gentle embrace. He could feel that she was still undressed and she pressed up against him and he wished he didn't have to go.

"I'll miss you," she whispered as she kissed his ear.

"I'll miss you too," he replied as he turned to face her. He softly slid his hands behind her waist and neck and kissed her deeply good bye. She walked him over to the door and took his arm before he opened it.

"I love you Obi-Wan Kenobi," she said looking him dead in the eyes. Ben froze. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"I love you, Andra," he gasped out.

"Then hurry home," she smiled as she caressed his face.

"I will."

Ben walked back to the temple quietly. He thought intensely about what had happened between him and Andra that night.

'Perhaps Qui-Gon is right,' he thought, 'Maybe it is best that I leave the Order…'

He quietly let himself into his quarters, trying not to wake his master. Little did he know, but Qui-Gon was already awake.

"I hope you remembered that you're flying us tomorrow," his master called from his bedroom.

Ben silently cursed himself, he ha forgotten and Kashyyk was a very long journey. It suddenly occurred to him why his master was awake and he became very embarrassed. He opened his mouth to apologize and then thought better of it.

"Good call!" called Qui-Gon, "Let's just pretend I don't know what happened…for both our sakes."

Qui-Gon's tone was flat and Ben suddenly did not think that the morning's journey was going to be a pleasant one.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Almost done! The exciting end to Obi-Wan's tumultuous love affair is nearly complete. Hope you've enjoyed the journey. I'm certainly feeling proud that I actually got this done! Thank you to those who have endured my erratic writing all this time!

Chapter14

BitterSweet

It had been nearly six weeks since Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon left for Kashyyyk. During their journey, they faced many battles and manipulative authorities. Never the less, the dynamic duo did what they do best and managed to neutralize the situation to the satisfaction of the planet. It was a long and tiring mission, but utterly satisfying to the thrill seeking team who had been out of the field for so long before.

They arrived back home late in the night when the buzz of the city had reduced to a quiet hum. Unsurprisingly, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had reestablished their bond and were once again thick as thieves. They spoke seldom of Andra, but Obi-Wan managed to keep her in his thoughts frequently. She was the one thing he was looking forward to when they got home. Well, her and some much deserved rest (saving a planet and all that).

The morning after they arrived home, Obi-Wan made plans to see Andra. He wanted to surprise her and woke up early. Qui-Gon had no objections. After all, the boy had done an excellent job on the mission and had risked his life for the people of Kashyyyk. Obi-Wan checked his reflection on the way out and waved good bye to his master. Secretly, Qui-Gon hoped that Obi-Wan would get there are realize that Andra wasn't all that great when compared to a life threatening adventure.

Ben buzzed the door of Andra's apartment. He was anxious to see her; far more anxious than he had been when he'd seen her last. Ah, the memories came trickling back. He smirked to himself and hoped he'd get a reception as lavish as the departure she'd given him. The door opened and there she stood. But something felt wrong to Ben and he cautiously stepped inside.

Andra embraced him tightly.

"I'm glad you're home, Ben," she told him in a less than enthusiastic voice.

"I missed you," he said sincerely. He studied her face for a moment and asked, "Is something wrong, Andra?"

"Ben," she said gently, "We need to talk."

Qui-Gon sat in the living space and thought about what would become of Obi-Wan. Even though he hoped that the boy would come to his senses and leave Andra, he knew that it wouldn't happen. Obi-Wan was truly in love and nothing would keep him from her. He thought about all the time they had spent together and remembered how Obi-Wan had convinced him to train him. He had been such a persistent child, well, he was still persistent and Qui-Gon had had actually come to admire that in him.

Qui-Gon frowned at the fact that they had been on their final adventure together.

'At least we went out with a bang,' he thought as he sighed. 'He had such potential. Obi-Wan was really turning out to be a great Jedi. He would have been my finest accomplishment. No, he is my finest accomplishment. Even though he's leaving, I am still most proud of him as a student. I'm going to miss him the most.'

Qui-Gon got up out of his chair and began to pace the room. It was harder than he thought it would be to accept that Obi-Wan was gone. More than any other apprentice, he had felt like Obi-Wan was his son. He began to think that this must be what it feels like for parents when their children go into the world on their own.

Ben sat down on the couch next to Andra. He was confused by the emotions he was sensing from her. Was it Jake? Had he come back and said something to her? Or was it work? Could she have been fired? The worst thought struck him last and he began to worry. Maybe she was sick; sick and dying. He didn't know what he would do if she was dying. Yes, yes he did know what he would do. He would search the galaxy and hound scientists until he found a cure that would keep her in the living world. Andra opened her mouth and he braced himself.

"Ben," she began.

'Oh no,' he thought, 'she is dying.'

"I can't see you anymore. We can't be together," she told him gently.

"Andra, whatever it is…."he began.

"No, Ben--,"

"I'll find a cure. I'll stay with you--,"

"NO, BEN!" she ha raised her voice and Ben looked at her in shock. She hadn't yelled at him since the day they had met. But her tone was much different now. She took a deep breath and began again.

"I'm not sick. I made a mistake. I shouldn't have let you in so close, Ben. This whole thing is just pretend. Us, will never work and it's foolish to think that we will. We are so different as people and have completely different views of what life and family should be. I'm not stupid either, Ben. I know that I'm not making things easier for you as a Jedi and that you've probably gotten in trouble because of me. I know what it's like to feel abandoned by the Jedi. I don't want to be the reason that even one Jedi is distracted from his duties. I can't do that; I can't do this."

Her words were like a shot to the heart. He couldn't believe what she was saying and he found it hard to breathe. After a moment of silence, he composed himself and mustered up the courage to speak.

"Andra, I love you. I'll leave the Order to be with you…"he pleaded with her. His mind was spinning; he couldn't lose her.

"No, Ben…Obi-Wan," she told him calmly, "I can't let you do that. I do care for you, a lot. And I am so glad that I met you. You've made a so much better person with all you've shown me and taught me. I can promise you that you will always be in my heart for as long as I live; you just can't be in my life. I'm so sorry."

Obi-Wan simply nodded his head. He felt like his heart had been smashed into a million pieces. It took all of his concentration to not cry. This was worse than if she'd been dying and it made him feel like he was dying. He looked at her imploringly one last time in hopes that she would change her mind.

"Good bye, Obi-Wan," she said quietly.

"Good bye, Andra," he choked out.

Andra walked him to the door and hugged him good bye. Obi-Wan managed to slip her one last kiss on the cheek before he walked away from her apartment for the last time.

Obi-Wan quietly walked into his quarters and stared at his master who had been waiting for him to return. Qui-Gon was actually quite surprised to see Obi-Wan back so soon. He realized instantly that they were not going to have the conversation he thought they were going to have. The wise man studied his pupil as he solemnly sat in a chair beside him and looked to the ground.

"It's for the best," Qui-Gon told his padawan, "For both of you."

"Master," Obi-Wan asked quietly, "I don't understand. Things were perfect, and…"

"Love, my student, is quite possibly the only entity that is more mysterious than the Force itself," Qui-Gon responded kindly, "Just like the Force, it is powerful and worthy of respect and contemplation. It is experienced by all beings on one level or another and can cause both great pain and great joy. And, like the Force, it is always present even when you think it has been lost forever."

"Yes, master."

Epilogue

5 Years Later

Obi-Wan and Anakin were making their way back to the Jedi Temple through the crowded streets of Coruscant. It had only been a few short weeks since the new pair had embarked upon their life as master and padawan, but it already felt like years to Obi-Wan.

"What was it like growing up in the temple, master?" Anakin asked. He was always asking questions. In fact, it seemed that the boy had a question for everything.

"It was very much like it is for you now, except from the time I was born," Obi-Wan replied patiently.

"Did you have friends?"

"Of course I had friends!" Obi-Wan laughed, "They're the same friends I have now! You've met Bant and Reeft."

"Wow!" Anakin beamed, "You've known them your whole life?"

"That's right," Obi-Wan answered, relieved to be finished with the conversation. He really didn't enjoy getting into his past with Anakin.

"Master, did you—hey!" Anakin was cut off as a small ran past him and knocked him to the ground.

"Hey come back here!" Anakin cried as he got up to run after the boy. Obi-Wan calmly stuck out his arm and grabbed the back of Anakin's tunic. He secretly wanted to grab his padawan braid, or ear, or something else that would cause pain.

"Ben!" shouted a woman not far in front of them, "What have I told you about running the streets! Now you go apologize!"

The crowd cleared just enough for Obi-Wan to see the owner of the familiar voice. She was a slender woman, a few years younger than he with very dark hair and holding the small boy by his arm. She was dragging him over to Anakin with an angry look on her face.

"Andra…" Obi-Wan whispered as they neared him and Anakin.

"Well, Ben?" She said as she plopped the young boy down in front of Anakin.

"I'm sorry," the boy said timidly. Anakin opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by his master.

"Andra," he said.

"Obi-Wan," Andra replied in shock. They were both silent for a moment and only stared at each other

"Wow," she began, "It's been so long. You look good."

"And you look beautiful as always," Obi-Wan replied without thinking.

"Is this your apprentice?" she asked gesturing to Anakin.

"Oh, yes. Andra, this is Anakin. Anakin, this is Andra. We were close friends some time ago."

"Hi," Anakin said politely.

"Hello," Andra said brightly to the young Jedi before turning back to Obi-Wan, "Qui-Gon must be so proud of you, Obi-Wan. How is he?"

"Qui-Gon passed on a few weeks ago," he replied solemnly.

"Oh, Obi-Wan. I'm so sorry for your loss," she replied sympathetically.

"No, he died doing what he loved best: protecting others," Obi-Wan told her.

There was a moment of silence before Obi-Wan spoke again.

"So, who is this young man you have with you?" he asked her.

"Oh, how rude of me! Obi-Wan, this is my son Ben. He's five," she replied as she picked up her son.

"You're son…?" Obi-Wan nearly choked on the words.

"Mmm Hmm," she nodded, "Well, we really need to get home now. It was great to see you again, Obi-Wan. It was nice meeting you, Anakin."

"Nice to meet you too Andra, and your son," Anakin replied cheerfully.

"Good bye, Obi-Wan."

"Good bye, Andra."

Obi-Wan watched her disappear into the crowd, dumb-founded by what had just happened. He wanted to go after her; scoop her up in his arms and kiss her for all he was worth and stay with her. But then, the voice that was his one connection to reality brought him back.

"Master, what kind of a name is 'Ben'?"

The End

I know that there are probably some missing pieces and unanswered questions. I don't pretend to be a great writer so I know it's going to happen. Feel free to email me and I'm sure I can answer them. Thank you to those of you who have read the whole story!


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